Ari Shapiro spoke with Richard Haass yesterday in what I consider one of the most level headed assessments of America and Ukraine. Haass does not see Trump’s strategy leading to peace, and that we should be standing behind Ukraine so Putin doesn’t see success for himself on the horizon. Haass looks at how you define success, noting Trump is right to say that winning back all territory is not realistic. However, a ceasefire and long-term negotiations makes sense.
They discuss the major shift away from the post-world war order and Haass says he has never seen such a dismantling by one of the leaders of such an order. Trump is giving away our strategic advantage, the partners that we have worked with for 80 years. We could see China and Russia expand their regional influence. Whatever happens, the costs will most likely increase for us. Shapiro asks if terms like “allies” have any meaning now? Haass says he never expected to say it, but the people we trade with, the ones we have agreed to defend, and they agreed to fight with us, now see that relationship as a liability to them because of the way Trump uses that relationship as leverage.
Richard Haass says Trump has put world order ‘on life support’ : NPR