Trump Has Picked a Side, and It Isn’t Ukraine’s

Trump Has Picked a Side, and It Isn’t Ukraine’s

Trump has obviously picked sides and is trying to force Zelenskyy to settle on Putin’s terms. He lifted sanctions on Russian oil, letting Putin keep financing the war. He declared a unilateral cease-fire that surprised both sides and was ignored almost at once. He told Zelenskyy to stop hitting Russian refineries, and that was ignored too. He threatened to cut off U.S. intelligence and, apparently, ordered limits on SpaceX’s Starshield satellite service, which has hampered Ukraine’s air defenses and its strikes on Russian positions in occupied territory.

Putin’s answer was one of the largest attacks yet on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, hitting more than 15 power generation and transmission facilities. Zelenskyy said he was never consulted on any formal energy truce, and Ukraine’s long-range drones resumed striking Russian refineries, including those at Ryazan. The logic on each side is plain. Russia wants to cripple Ukraine’s heating grid and economy before winter while Ukraine wants to squeeze the refining capacity that funds Moscow’s war. The dispute also raises the pressure on European allies to make up for the financing and weapons Kyiv is no longer getting from Washington.

Trump’s latest anti-Ukrainian move was to waive the new sanctions in the so-called Graham bill, named for Sen. Lindsey Graham. The Senate had passed it 86–11 – unusually broad bipartisan support. Trump waived it without explanation, though by now none seems needed: he has long shown more warmth toward Putin than toward Zelenskyy. Russia was delighted. Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev wrote on social media that “the Trump administration’s suspension of the Graham Act is an important and truly historic moment.” Zelenskyy wasn’t.

The sanctions were due to take effect in two days. They would have targeted Russian officials, banks and the shadow fleet of tankers that keeps Russian energy moving, and they would have directed Trump to impose tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest importers of Russian oil or natural gas. Countries that import less than 15% of Russia’s gas exports and have taken significant steps to cut those imports would have been exempt.

Trump’s biases are stark and evident. He has condemned Ukraine for hitting Russian refineries, but not Moscow for hitting Ukrainian power plants. He says Zelenskyy is hurting the world’s diesel supply: “He wants to make problems for our farmers, our ranchers with diesel fuel because Russia supplies a large portion of the diesel fuel throughout the world. I said to him, ‘Do what you want. Don’t hit refineries. There’s plenty of targets. Don’t hit refineries.’ And he went out and he hit,” Trump said. “He better damn well stop.”

Its’ Zelenskyy’s fault! – and Trump has called for a new Ukrainian leader – presumably one who is a puppet of Putin’s.

Russia, for its part, kept up its attacks on civilians. A strike on Zaporizhzhia killed 20 people, three of them children, the third mass-casualty attack on Ukraine in four days. “Today, Russia said thank you for the lifting of sanctions on diesel exports by dropping five glide bombs on residential buildings in Zaporizhzhia,” Zelenskyy said. “Last night provided yet more confirmation that Russia perceives any easing of pressure as a signal that it can supposedly keep fighting, that it can supposedly keep dropping bombs on cities. Different signals are needed.”

The pattern is hard to miss. Trump is reversing Washington’s pressure on Russia and aiming it at Ukraine, hoping Kyiv will give in.

Zelenskyy then did something to obviously tell Trump where he could go with his demands. Ukraine launched a drone attack on a major oil terminal and other key targets in Putin’s hometown, St. Petersburg. Zelenskyy said Russia had struck Ukraine’s oil and gas sector 76 times in a week, leaving tens of thousands of families without power, and that Ukraine would target Russia’s energy infrastructure.

Reaction on Capitol Hill has been muted, perhaps because most lawmakers are focused on the midterm elections. The sharpest Republican criticism has come from members who are leaving Congress, such as Rep. Don Bacon, who said the sanctions Congress just passed should be applied, not rolled back. There have been some criticisms on the campaign trail from endangered republican candidates.

But the 86–11 Senate vote shows where Congress stands: overwhelmingly with Ukraine and not Russia. Trump, as usual, is ignoring the wishes of Congress and of the American people.

One more point for the president’s attention: 86 is well over the 67 votes needed to convict in an impeachment trial.