Trump finally realized helping Ukraine, not Russia, is our best move | Opinion

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On July 10, President Donald Trump announced that the United States planned to send more weapons to Ukraine. That signaled a shift in his approach to that war and perhaps a better understanding by the administration of what our role should be in that fight.

The announcement comes after months of Trump insisting there would be a swift end to the war in Ukraine, and after a freeze on the United States' aid shipments.

Although my worries about Trump 2.0 have largely come true, he has been more competent in the area of foreign policy than his campaign posturing suggested. The president seems to be reasserting himself as a strong interventionist when it comes to foreign policy. 

Trump is realizing that the isolationist right lives in a fantasy

Trump insisted on the campaign trail and early in his term that he would be able to end the war on his first day in office.

While that never materialized, Trump continued to insist he would be able to negotiate a swift end. His frustrations first mounted with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, resulting in the infamous Oval Office spat between Trump's isolationist attack dog Vice President JD Vance and Zelenskyy.

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As a result, until the July aid, Trump paused assistance to Ukraine in hopes of reaching a diplomatic resolution and ramped up criticism of Zelenskyy's approach to the war. 

Now, Trump has become frustrated with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has refused to seek peace. Finally.

Ukraine has continued to fight as Russia misplayed its negotiating hand

Trump entered his second term eager to end the war in Ukraine, both to appeal to those voices on the right and as a show of his negotiating power. The reality, though, is that it is in the United States’ interest to continue supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia. 

Ukraine has continued to fight long odds, and Russia has been anything but eager to negotiate a settlement to end the war. Russia has reportedly asked for far too much in Ukraine negotiations, even for Vance's standards, who has previously said, "I don't really care what happens to Ukraine one way or another."

Thankfully, Trump is now receptive to reality, possibly after listening to some sense from his wife. That's better than wishcasting that the fighting stop in order to meet his political objectives, over the fate of nations across the globe. 

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Trump seems to have snapped out of his anti-intervention daydream

On a positive note, Trump has reverted to his first-term foreign policy posturing, which was generally pretty great from a conservative perspective. I am fully prepared for Trump to make me look silly on this issue, but I am relieved, at least for the moment, that he is putting America’s strategic interests above those of the isolationists in his camp. 

Trump’s change of heart on Russia is particularly of note, given his adamant stance that he would bring the war to a negotiated settlement. Now, Trump is instead arming Ukraine, taking action to actively prolong the conflict. 

Trump does recognize the strategic importance of Ukraine continuing to exist after this war is over, and is willing to offend those within his own administration who are ambivalent to Ukraine’s fate, or even favorable toward Russia. 

The saga surrounding the Iran bombing strikes seems to have snapped Trump out of his anti-intervention daydream. Thankfully, he now seems ready to protect U.S. interests abroad. Better late than never. 

Dace Potas is an opinion columnist for Paste BN and a graduate of DePaul University with a degree in political science.