The Guardian view on Donald Trump's Ukraine strategy: talking tough and doing very little isn't working | Editorial

"Back in January, with Donald Trump's campaign promises to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours still fresh in the memory, there was genuine unease in Moscow over the US president's intentions. When Mr Trump mused that high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on Russia might be necessary, one high-profile and pro-war Moscow commentator wrote: It's better to prepare for the worst. Soon, we'll look back on Biden's term with nostalgia, like a thaw. How wrong can you be?"

"Since then, the US president has repeatedly talked the talk without coming close to walking the walk. In May, when Vladimir Putin rejected a 30-day ceasefire, and peace talks in Turkey went nowhere, a bone-crushing US sanctions package failed to materialise. An 8 August deadline for Mr Putin to agree to a ceasefire somehow morphed into a red carpet welcome in Alaska, where Mr Trump applauded a leader wanted for war crimes as he disembarked from his plane."

"Last week's incursion of Russian drones into Polish territory laid bare inadequate Nato planning, as F-35 and F-16 fighter jets were hastily scrambled to deal with cheap kamikaze devices that cost around $10,000 each to produce. It also communicated a warning of possible escalation in the event of any future reassurance force deploying European troops on Ukrainian soil. Such a provocation called for a robust and unified response, exerting the kind of pressure on the Kremlin which Mr Trump has so far refused to countenance."

Donald Trump's campaign promises of swift resolution to the Ukraine war and severe measures against Russia have not been matched by concrete action. Threats of high Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions remained largely rhetorical while promised sanction packages failed to materialise. Diplomatic engagement, including a high-profile Alaska encounter, lacked consequential pressure, allowing Putin to continue prosecuting the war and probing western weaknesses. A recent Russian drone incursion into Poland highlighted NATO planning gaps and the inefficiency of using advanced fighters against cheap kamikaze devices. The situation demanded a robust, unified Western response that has yet to appear.

Read at www.theguardian.com