Vladimir Putin greets Donald Trump’s envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in the Kremlin, January 22, 2026
EA on International Media: Historic US Elections? Let’s Hope So
UPDATE, NOV 8:
I spoke with Ukrainian journalists Daniel Tkiie and Sofia Nazarenko on Thursday about the effect of the US midterm elections on Donald Trump’s alliance with the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
In the 23-minute discussion, I discuss Trump’s undermining of sanctions on Russia, defying Congress’s adoption of sweeping measures against Moscow and leading customers of its oil and gas.
I note how pressure against insurers, shippers, financiers and energy firms is pushing back Trump’s agreement to purchase Russian diesel fuel.
I look at this week’s Ukraine-Russia talks in Abu Dhabi, with the Trump camp’s involvement. Given the Kremlin’s manipulation of Trump and his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner with proposed business deals worth tens of billions of dollars, can Kyiv hold out against Moscow’s maximum demands?
ORIGINAL ENTRY, NOV 7: EA’s Cormac Smith joined Pakistan TV’s Sana Maqbool on Friday night to consider the effect of the midterm elections on US foreign policy, particularly with respect to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Cormac explains that as foreign policy is largely in the hands of the Executive, Trump’s chaos and damage is likely to continue. He takes apart the latest Trump camp initiative, promoted by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, over the invasion.
Then he cuts to the chase:
The focus of Trump’s engagement with Putin is to get the war out of the way, as soon as possible, so he, his family, and his inner circle make as much money with their business deals with Russia as they can.
