Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump in the White House, Washington, D.C., August 18, 2025
Ukraine War, Day 1,328: Zelensky to Meet Trump on Friday
I joined Poland’s TVP World on Tuesday to answer their question: in the aftermath of his ego trip over a ceasefire in Gaza, will Donald Trump now back Ukraine’s resistance of Russia’s invasion, including the supply of Tomahawk cruise missiles to Kyiv?
I talk to host Marie Kato about the reality of the situation in Gaza v. the rhetoric of Trump as “peacemaker”.
Then I examine the dynamics of how Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and European partners have maneuvered Trump away from support of Vladimir Putin. The key, I note, is flattery and manipulation of Trump’s ego.
You enable Ukraine to defend itself, including bolstered air defenses and protection of energy facilities.
You also enable Ukraine to take the fight to Russia. Because if you just sit on the fence all the time, the Russians will try to grind you down.
I respond bluntly to the query if Donald Trump should receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
I don’t care.
I conclude by setting out the likely scenario of how Russia’s invasion will be halted.
Medvedev stated that Russia will not be able to tell whether a Tomahawk missile launched by Ukraine/NATO is carrying a nuclear warhead or not. The other thing not addressed in this interview is the point at which Russia, with its badly damaged energy infrastructure, decides to take retaliatory action against Kiev”s government buildings and military infrastructure inside NATO countries. Professor Lucas shouldn’t rule this out in his analysis. And there are people in the Russian government (e.g. Sergei Ryabkov) who are not satisfied with Putin’s limp-wristed response to Washington’s threats and taunts. They have concluded that the summit at Anchorage was a waste of time, and that Trump doesn’t understand Russia’s security concerns and strategic perspectives. The US has no interest in an Istanbul-plus and never did. At what point will Putin be forced to retaliate? When Ukraine uses Tomahawk missiles to target civilian areas in Russia?