Washington has discovered a political dilemma old enough to qualify for Social Security: What happens when the standards politicians enthusiastically applied to the other party suddenly wander across the aisle and sit down in their own living room? Sen. John Curtis, a Utah Republican, is asking the Senate Judiciary Committee to investigate whether presidential family…
The Senate’s New Sanctions Push Against Russia and Iran
The Senate has taken a major step toward dramatically increasing economic pressure on Russia, the countries purchasing its energy, and Iran. In an 86–12 procedural vote, senators advanced the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026, although the measure still requires additional votes before it can pass the Senate and move to…
Turkey, the F-35, and the Price of Alliance Trust
President Trump’s reported push to reopen the door for Turkey to rejoin the F-35 fighter jet program has revived one of NATO’s messier family arguments. And yes, this is very much a “family argument” situation: Turkey is a NATO ally, the U.S. wants strong partners against Russia and Iran, Israel is raising alarms, Congress has…
What the Pentagon’s Europe Deployment Pause Means
The Pentagon has reportedly halted troop deployments to Poland and Germany as part of President Trump’s broader order to reduce the U.S. military presence in Europe by about 5,000 troops. According to AP, roughly 4,000 troops from the Army’s 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, were no longer heading to Poland, and a…
Russia Helping Iran Target U.S. Forces
Russia has reportedly shared intelligence with Iran that could help Tehran locate and potentially target U.S. military assets in the Middle East. According to reporting by the Associated Press, U.S. officials believe Russia has passed along information that could improve Iran’s ability to track American ships, aircraft, and other military infrastructure in the region. Even…
Trump’s Sanctions on Russia: A Strong Move, But Long Overdue
When President Trump announced sweeping new sanctions on Russia’s energy sector yesterday, many of us who value peace through strength let out a long, relieved sigh. Finally. After months of drawn-out talks and mounting civilian deaths in Ukraine, Trump is putting his money where his mouth is. The sanctions — targeting Russia’s two largest oil…
Oops, Wrong Border? A Look at Russia’s Violation of Polish Airspace
I’ve been mulling over the latest drama out of Eastern Europe. Between September 9th and 10th, Poland found itself playing host to dozens of uninvited Russian drones. The fallout? Airports went into panic mode, flights grounded, fighter jets scrambled, and Polish air defenses got a live-fire training exercise they didn’t exactly sign up for. NATO…
Wings, Not Boots: My Take on U.S. Air Support in Ukraine
President Trump made it clear this week that American boots won’t be marching into Ukraine, but he didn’t shut the door on helping from above. Instead, he left U.S. air support on the table as part of a possible peace deal with Russia. The idea is to build a framework for ending the war, maybe…
No Crimea, No NATO: What Conservative Realism Should Demand
President Trump is hosting Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House—alongside a scrum of European leaders—just three days after sitting down with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. And he’s framing the deal in blunt-Trump terms: Ukraine won’t be getting back Crimea, and NATO membership is off the table. Zelenskyy, he says, “can end the war almost…
Alaska, Peacemaking, and the Peril of “Quick Fix” Diplomacy
If you’re looking for tidy endings, geopolitics is the wrong genre. President Trump and Vladimir Putin sat down in Anchorage, and—surprise—no white-smoke peace deal drifted over the Chugach. Still, the two leaders talked for hours about Ukraine, pledged to keep talking, and signaled that President Zelenskyy will now be heavily engaged. Reports suggest he’s heading…
