Trump's About-Face: A Sudden Shift in Russia Policy

The political world was taken by surprise when President Trump suddenly changed his tune on Russia. Just a few weeks ago, he was tough on Russia, saying that they would face new sanctions if they didn't start peace talks. He even posted on social media, saying, "We can do it the easy way, or the hard way . . . It’s time to ‘MAKE A DEAL’. "But then, after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, everything changed. The U. S. and Russia would enter into negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, Trump said. But he didn't mention any role for Ukraine’s government. His defense secretary flew to Europe and said NATO membership for Ukraine was off the table and it was unrealistic to expect Kyiv to regain the territory Russia had seized. Trump even claimed that Ukraine, which was invaded by Russia three years ago, “should have never started” the war. That spat continued into Wednesday, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accusing Trump of living in a Russian “disinformation bubble” and Trump calling Zelenskyy a “dictator. ”With his conciliatory words toward Putin and willingness to launch into direct talks, Trump effectively invited Russia in from the cold after three years of diplomatic and economic isolation. A photo from Saudi Arabia showing Trump’s deputies, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz, sitting across the table from senior Russian officials, seemed to capture the seismic shift. Trump's foreign policy has always been about questioning the value of alliances. He has repeatedly questioned the value of alliances that date back to the end of World War II, arguing that the United States is being taken advantage of, either due to the cost of America’s military presence or allegedly lopsided trade relationships. Historians and analysts say the post-war order fueled a rise in living standards around the world, bolstered and spread democratic rule from Prague to Tokyo, and helped avert a war between major powers. But Trump and his supporters believe the U. S. has been too deferential toward its allies. Trump is testing the proposition that America can survive and thrive without cultivating its friends. Will “America First” mean “America Alone”? European leaders have been left stunned by Trump’s swift reversal of American policy toward Russia as they struggle to unite around a shared response. In Washington, a handful of GOP senators sought distance from Trump’s comments labeling Zelenskyy a “dictator” while avoiding directly criticizing the president. Trump has also been making waves with his plans to reduce the federal deficit. He and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk have sent shock waves through the federal government by attempting to take a hatchet to certain agencies in the name of reducing the federal deficit. But the reality is far more complex. Budget experts say that even if Trump succeeds at slashing the spending the Department of Government Efficiency is targeting, his policies would still substantially add to the deficit if they come to fruition. Trump has called for a series of steep tax cuts that would add at least $5 trillion to the 10-year deficit compared to the red ink if no changes are made to current federal law, according to the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Plus, Republican leaders in Congress are pushing for more military and border security spending. Trump has focused heavily on slashing foreign aid, which last accounted for 1. 2% of the overall budget, even after adding up emergency assistance to Ukraine. Trump has also called for dissolving the Education Department, which accounts for about 3% of federal spending, according to the Treasury Department. While Trump and Musk have sought to shrink the government workforce, federal workers make up 6% of the budget, according to a Congressional Budget Office report on fiscal 2022. When it comes to Social Security and Medicare, Trump last year called for tackling “the theft and the bad management of entitlements, ” while promising not to jeopardize benefits. But the president and Musk have yet to show evidence of fraud that would bend the cost curve.