The Kremlin has dispatched its chief Ukraine negotiator to Washington in a stark admission: Vladimir Putin is running out of diplomatic options. Sources confirm that Kirill Dmitriev—a close associate of Putin and former investment banker at Goldman Sachs—is in the U.S. urging Donald Trump to intervene and salvage Russia’s standing in the war. The move comes after a sharp geopolitical pivot by Trump himself: the U.S.
In a statement to press today, U.S. President Donald Trump suggested that Russia’s overnight drone strike on Polish territory may have been unintentional, a claim that drew swift and categorical rejection from Warsaw. When pressed by reporters about the incursion, Trump remarked, “It could have been a mistake. But regardless, I’m not happy with anything to do with that whole situation.
Poland challenges Trump’s attempt to dismiss Russia’s attack on Poland Read Post »
In his column “Trump’s U-Turn” for Vot Tak, Vitaly Portnikov offers a searing analysis of Donald Trump’s meeting with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. His argument is clear: the encounter demonstrated not strength or diplomacy, but a collapse of Western unity and another successful manipulation by the Kremlin. Reading Portnikov, one is struck not only by the sharpness of his critique, but by the accuracy with which he dissects Trump’s political weaknesses.
Trump’s Retreat in Alaska: How Putin Played the American President Read Post »
President Trump appears to have been drawn into another Kremlin trap — one that would grant Vladimir Putin not just the territories Russian forces currently occupy, but regions they have failed to conquer and cannot take militarily. These areas, heavily fortified and defended at enormous cost by Ukrainian forces, remain out of Moscow’s reach. For Mr. Putin, the only viable path to securing them now runs through the White House. Mr. Trump is expected to meet the Russian leader in Alaska on Aug.
Trump seeks to Gift Putin Lands Russia Cant Seize on the Battlefield Read Post »
In a new op-ed published in USA Today, Secretary of State Marco Rubio praises the Trump administration’s NATO strategy as a “historic” success, touting a sweeping agreement under which alliance members will raise defense spending to 5% of GDP. But behind the celebratory tone lies a clear undertone of concern: America’s dominance in the global arms market is slipping and Trump’s Ukraine policy is largely to blame. Rubio calls on allies to open their defense contracts to U.S.
As the United States dismantles one of its most influential soft-power institutions, the Kremlin is preparing to take its place. With little fanfare, Russia is building its own version of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), hoping to fill the vacuum left by Washington’s retreat from global development programs. The effort, spearheaded through Moscow’s International Agency for Sovereign Development, aims to project Russian influence abroad under the guise of humanitarian aid —
Already filling the void left by the US, Russia builds a copy of USAID Read Post »
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has once again halted a shipment of U.S. weapons to Ukraine despite clear internal military assessments showing that the aid would not compromise American readiness. The abrupt decision stunned Ukraine, European allies, and members of Congress, and has reignited suspicions about the underlying motives driving some of the Trump administration’s most senior defense officials.
Immediately after U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with Vladimir Putin by phone, Russia launched a massive overnight strike on Kyiv—firing more than 550 drones and ballistic missiles in a coordinated seven-hour assault on Ukraine’s capital. The attack, one of the largest since the start of the full-scale invasion, targeted civilian areas and energy infrastructure across the city, sending thousands of residents into shelters.
Russia Launches massive attack on Kyiv immediately After Trump–Putin Call Read Post »
