Impolitic with John Heilemann cover image

Impolitic with John Heilemann

Michael McFaul: Whose Side Are We On?

Feb 28, 2025
Michael McFaul, former U.S. ambassador to Russia and director at Stanford's Freeman Spogli Institute, shares his insights on Trump’s controversial stance towards Ukraine. He discusses the coercive rare earth minerals deal with Zelensky, framing it as extortion. McFaul analyzes Putin's perspective on U.S.-Russia relations and highlights Trump's admiration for the Russian leader. He warns of America’s waning role as a global leader and the European reaction to these dynamics, probing the broader implications for U.S. foreign policy.
01:17:11

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The podcast highlights Trump's rare earth minerals deal with Ukraine as a controversial act of extortion, raising doubts about U.S. support for democracy.
  • McFaul discusses Trump's admiration for Putin and his distancing of Ukraine, indicating a troubling shift in U.S. foreign policy priorities.

Deep dives

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