Trump’s gambit to trade Ukraine for a Russia-China split could spectacularly backfire — futher locking in the most powerful anti-Western alliance since the Cold War.
As Ukraine’s weapons pipeline nears depletion, Trump’s peace talks pose a critical legacy moment that could either erase the stain of Afghanistan or cement his reputation for abandoning US allies.
A combination of falling oil prices and unrestricted military aid to Ukraine could expose Russia as a "hollow shell" that Trump could effectively pressure, explains Dr. Fred Hoffman, who spent three decades in military and intelligence before moving to academia.
Apart from the $400 million of a new military aid, the US has also pledged $800 million for Ukrainian drone production. Amid news about North Korean troops deployment to Ukraine by Russia, South Korea is considering sending military personnel to Ukraine. The Russian forces also continue a trend of increasing executions of unarmed Ukrainian soldiers by killing two Ukrainians at close range in Donetsk Oblast.