Col Doug Macgregor: Will Trump Stand His Ground?

Aug 18, 2025

Doug Macgregor, a former senior policy analyst and decorated combat veteran, shares insights on U.S. foreign policy under Trump. He critiques Washington's indecisiveness and discusses Trump's priorities regarding the Western Hemisphere versus Eastern Europe. The conversation delves into the complex debate over U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine, raising critical questions about commitments. Macgregor proposes a historical analogy for a neutral Ukraine and critiques European leaders, arguing they must take more responsibility for their defense in the current geopolitical climate.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

ADVICE

Declare Limits On NATO And Aid

Declare clearly that Ukraine will never join NATO while you are president to remove ambiguity.
Suspend military aid and limit US support to humanitarian assistance to avoid further escalation.

INSIGHT

Victory Will Be Defined By Ground Realities

Russia will set terms if the war ends because it holds forces and strategic interests on the ground.
Europe must decide whether to continue supporting Ukraine without the US or accept a neutral settlement.

INSIGHT

War Undermines European Globalist Narrative

European globalist leaders rely on the war to justify open-border and security narratives that now conflict.
Public sentiment in Europe likely opposes a prolonged war with Russia and could force political change.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

Trump’s Priorities & Washington’s Weakness

Trump signals that what happens in the Western Hemisphere is more important to the U.S. than Eastern Europe.

The speaker criticizes Washington leaders as indecisive, unwilling to take firm stands (“wishy-washy”).

2. “Security Guarantees” Debate

A Trump ally (Whit) suggested the U.S. could provide security guarantees for Ukraine, supposedly with Putin’s approval.

This raised concerns because it was unclear what “guarantees” meant—boots on the ground? NATO-like commitments?

Rubio warned such a promise would be a major concession and should only happen if Trump sees it as essential for peace.

He pressed for clarity: “Guarantee what, with what, for how long?”

3. Historical Analogy: Austrian State Treaty (1955)

Eisenhower supported Austria’s neutrality, with a Russian representative overseeing compliance.

That model—neutrality, limited armed forces, and foreign oversight—is suggested as a possible framework for Ukraine.

Russia could accept this, as it allows neutrality without NATO expansion.

4. Criticism of U.S. & European Elites

Senators like Menendez, Johnson, and Graham are dismissed as ignorant “buffoons.”

Western leaders are accused of clinging to a false narrative: Russia as the sole aggressor, Ukraine as “winning.”

Europe’s major powers—Britain, France—are described as irrelevant militarily. Germany is weak but could eventually matter.

The key states that must be involved in a settlement are Ukraine’s neighbors: Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Lithuania, Moldova.

5. Russia’s Position & Peace Prospects

The speaker argues Russia has already won a decisive victory; this is a defeat for the West, not just Ukraine.

He claims Russia was provoked by the U.S. and NATO into war.

Russia, in his view, seeks stability—not endless conquest—and has even shown flexibility by discussing possible territorial compromises.

By contrast, Zelensky and his backers are described as impossible to satisfy, making negotiations futile.

6. Trump’s Possible Endgame

Trump may ultimately announce the U.S. will withdraw from the Ukraine conflict entirely:

No longer treating Russia as an enemy.

Suspending all military and financial aid to Kyiv.

Leaving Europeans to decide if they want to keep supporting Ukraine alone.

This would mark a radical shift in U.S. policy, effectively recognizing Russia’s upper hand.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.