The Powers That Be: Daily The Tragedy of the Trump-Putin Pact
Feb 25, 2025
Julia Ioffe, a journalist renowned for her expertise on Russia and Ukraine, joins to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine amidst Trump's unconventional peace moves. She critiques the potential fallout from any pact favoring Putin, stressing that it could undermine U.S. diplomacy. The conversation explores the fraught U.S.-Ukraine relationship, possible isolationism, and the resilience of Ukrainians against oppression. Ioffe also highlights the historical context that shapes current conflicts and warns against transactional foreign policy.
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Trump's Transactional Peace
- Trump's peace deal won't be just or lasting, prioritizing a transactional approach over Ukraine's sovereignty.
- He disregards the human cost of war, treating Ukraine like a real estate deal.
America's New Allies
- Trump's siding with Russia aligns with the far-right view of a natural alliance with a white, Christian nationalist leader.
- This stance positions the US alongside autocratic regimes like North Korea and Belarus.
Ukrainian Resistance
- Ukrainians, exhausted by war, hoped Trump might bring change, but not by surrendering their sovereignty.
- Ioffe's family history illustrates Ukrainians' enduring resistance, even under Soviet repression.