Our New Friends

Spectator

By Stephen Tuttle | March 8, 2025

The United States has been a beacon of hope for much of the world for eight decades. It took Donald Trump a month to turn off that light.

This becomes obvious as we betray Ukraine, turn our backs on our NATO allies, and inflict punitive tariffs on our best trading partners. The intentionally public Oval Office ambush of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy should have told our skeptical friends all they needed to know. (Our president does not, or will not, understand tariffs are essentially a tax American consumers will ultimately pay on many imported goods, including food.)

Zelenskyy, Trump, and his compliant Vice President, JD Vance, were supposed to meet regarding ongoing U.S. support of Ukraine’s efforts to fend off a Russian invasion. Instead, it was a demand for a deal for Ukraine’s rare earth minerals and non-stop insults from Trump and Vance. Zelenskyy, they openly said, was insufficiently thankful for the previous support provided by the U.S. and, after all, they said, Ukraine is corrupt and started the war.

The rudeness of Trump and Vance, compounded by lies, was almost as bad as their defense of Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Zelenskyy did not arrive on bended knee groveling before the mighty Americans. Actually, he had already done that when he was here previously and profusely thanked the U.S. while speaking to Congress. But Trump wasn’t president then, so it apparently did not count; as of this writing, he has halted all military aid to Ukraine.

In fact, Putin started his intrusions into Ukraine in 2014 with an invasion and takeover of the Crimea region, which includes Russia’s Black Sea naval operations. Both the U.S. and Ukraine let that invasion go as a battle they chose not to fight.

Then, three years ago, Putin invaded Ukraine as part of his apparent fantasy of restoring the old Russian Empire. In no way was Ukraine the aggressor, and they’ve been fighting a defensive action ever since. This is Putin’s war, not Zelenskyy’s, but for reasons not yet clear, our president consistently sides with one of the world’s most brutal totalitarians while we insult those fighting him.

Some Republicans are now saying Ukraine is a cesspool of corruption unworthy of more support. Right, as opposed to Russia where, at least according to Fortune, President Putin has managed to squirrel away as much as $200 billion of ill-gotten money.

Unfortunately, it’s not just Ukraine we’re on the verge of sacrificing to Russia. The official flag of our Department of Defense (DoD) leadership should now be pure white.

Pete Hegseth, the new leader of the DoD has ordered them to stand down “offensive digital actions” directed at Russia. You know, to counteract the Russian cyber activity that interfered with our last three presidential elections. That they did so in 2016, 2020, and 2024 is no hoax but established fact. We not only know they did it, we know who did it and even the street address and offices of the building in which the work was undertaken. (There was no evidence ever uncovered that the Trump campaigns coordinated with the Russian efforts but no doubt those efforts occurred.)

Remember when anti-communism was one of the bedrock principles of the Republican Party? When they understood Russia was not our friend? And we were smart enough not to trust any of their deals or treaties? Ronald Reagan famously said “trust but verify,” but now we just trust.

Our new Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, once called Putin a “butcher” among other things. Now? Not so much as we capitulate to nearly all Putin goals but don't believe us, believe Russian state media outlets like Tass praising Trump for “repeating Russian talking points” while referring to Zelenskyy as an “insolent pig.” Nice.

We’ve also now invited, at least by implication, some Russian oligarchs to come on over and become Americans. We’re even about to create something special they can use, an immigration “gold card” you can have for just $5 million that moves you to the front of the immigration line. It’s designed for “high level, wealthy people.” When asked if that would include Russian oligarchs, Trump responded he believed some were “very nice people.” Maybe that excludes those we are investigating or have already indicted for a host of financial crimes including money laundering and tax evasion.

Vladimir Putin, a former KGB agent adept at subterfuge, never met a deal on which he could not renege. Whatever deals he promised Trump must have been dandies, because the result has been the complete reversal of 80 years of established foreign policy.

At the United Nations there were recent resolutions condemning the Russian invasion and asking for a quick end to that war. Voting “No” were Russia, China, North Korea, Belarus, several other Russian allies...and the U.S. Those are our new friends.