Yesterday’s negotiations between Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump arrive at a moment of deep fatigue: military, political, and psychological. After years of war, there’s a natural hunger for an off-ramp, a framework that promises stability and relief from endless escalation. The talks are presented as pragmatic, results-oriented, and refreshingly unconcerned with ideological grandstanding. That tone…
Peace, Principles, and the Perils of Political Amnesia
Some weeks in politics feel like a three-ring circus, and lately the lions, clowns, and tightrope walkers have all shown up at once. On one side of the world, we’ve got a draft peace plan for Ukraine that asks them to hand over territory to Russia like it’s a neighborhood potluck. On the other side…
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…
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…
Peace Through Strength or Perpetual War? A Look at President Trump’s Ukraine Pivot
Last week, the Pentagon hit the brakes on some critical arms shipments to Ukraine, citing the need to replenish our own defense systems. That pause didn’t last long. President Trump saw the news, heard the reports of civilian casualties, and said, “Not on my watch.” He ordered those shipments back on track, vowing more defensive…
America First or Allies Last? Hegseth’s Halt of Ukraine Arms Aid
Pete Hegseth recently ordered an indefinite suspension of a broad set of weapons shipments to Ukraine. This isn’t just a bureaucratic hiccup, it’s a major pause on some of the most critical tools in Ukraine’s arsenal. Included in the freeze are PAC‑3 Patriot missile interceptors, NASAMS air defense systems, GMLRS (guided rockets), Stinger and Hellfire…
Marco Rubio: Double Duty or Double Trouble?
By all accounts, Marco Rubio has come a long way since his early days as the Tea Party darling in the Senate. Fast forward to today, and he’s no longer just a voice in the legislative chorus—he’s holding two of the most powerful foreign policy posts in the country. For the past three and a…
Minerals, Morality, and Moscow: The U.S.-Ukraine Deal and Trump’s Putin Pivot
The April 30th announcement of a new U.S.-Ukraine mineral agreement has raised eyebrows and opened debate—not just among policymakers, but among those of us who care deeply about biblical justice, national sovereignty, and the proper role of American influence abroad. Add to that President Trump's latest comments about Vladimir Putin, and we've got ourselves a…
Russia’s Hypocrisy: The Myth of Protecting Russian-Speaking Ukrainians
I’ve already debunked two of the most common excuses for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: NATO expansion and “de-Nazification.” Now, let’s tackle another excuse that keeps getting repeated by Moscow and its apologists: 👉 Russia invaded Ukraine to protect Russian-speaking Ukrainians. This claim is Russia’s official justification for its war, but it doesn’t hold up under…