https://sputnikglobe.com/20250714/if-trump-folds-to-neocons-on-ukraine-maga-base-will-bury-him-as-biden-20-1122436889.html
If Trump Folds to Neocons on Ukraine, MAGA Base Will Bury Him as Biden 2.0
If Trump Folds to Neocons on Ukraine, MAGA Base Will Bury Him as Biden 2.0
Sputnik International
President Trump is reportedly planning to pull a 180 on his Russia/Ukraine policy, including an "aggressive" Ukraine weapons plan. Sputnik asked a leading Russian foreign and defense policy expert to comment.
2025-07-14T13:12+0000
2025-07-14T13:12+0000
2025-07-14T17:33+0000
analysis
joe biden
donald trump
russia
ukraine
gop
congress
army tactical missile system (atacms)
https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/07e9/06/16/1122314717_0:0:2810:1582_1920x0_80_0_0_1e6f307c3c5b58c24212e2ca2562c8a9.jpg
The US president’s escalatory rhetoric vis-à-vis Russia is the result of the realization that he cannot “force” Russia to make the concessions he needs to declare a peace in Ukraine which doesn’t address the conflict’s root causes, Russian Council on Foreign & Defense Policy Dmitry Suslov has told Sputnik.Succumbing to the “hypocritical flattery” of the neocon wing of the GOP, plus hawkish European allies, Trump is being lobbied to believe that acting “tough” works. At the same time, his intuition is telling him to try to avoid being dragged into a long confrontation with Russia, and thus “become a second Biden.”If he uses the leftover $4B from Biden’s budget for Ukraine, he can continue to make the argument that this is ‘not his war’.But “if he asks Congress for a new budget to support Ukraine, it will mean that Biden’s war has turned into Trump’s war,” Suslov stresses.As for arms deliveries vs. dialog, everything comes down to the “risks of escalation,” according to Suslov. If Trump approves the use of ATACMS missiles for deep strikes into Russia, this would increase the risks of a direct Russia-NATO clash.If his efforts are limited to freezing the rapprochement and new sanctions, the impact wouldn’t be nearly as serious, the analyst argues.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20250714/trump-set-to-unveil-new-arms-package-for-ukraine-on-monday-1122434635.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20250714/trump-threatens-100-secondary-tariffs-on-russia-if-no-ukraine-deal-reached-in-50-days-1122437895.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20250711/fm-lavrov-says-confirmed-russias-position-on-ukraine-settlement-at-meeting-with-rubio-1122426000.html
russia
ukraine
Sputnik International
feedback@sputniknews.com
+74956456601
MIA „Rossiya Segodnya“
2025
News
en_EN
Sputnik International
feedback@sputniknews.com
+74956456601
MIA „Rossiya Segodnya“
Sputnik International
feedback@sputniknews.com
+74956456601
MIA „Rossiya Segodnya“
why is trump flipping on russia ukraine conflict, have neocons flipped trump, have neocons compromised trump
why is trump flipping on russia ukraine conflict, have neocons flipped trump, have neocons compromised trump
If Trump Folds to Neocons on Ukraine, MAGA Base Will Bury Him as Biden 2.0
13:12 GMT 14.07.2025 (Updated: 17:33 GMT 14.07.2025) President Trump has pulled a 180 on his Russia/Ukraine peace push, including an "aggressive" new arms aid plan, and 100% "secondary tariff" threats against Moscow. Sputnik asked a leading Russian foreign and defense policy expert to weigh in.
The US president’s
escalatory rhetoric vis-à-vis Russia is the result of the realization that he cannot “force” Russia to make the concessions he needs to declare a peace in Ukraine which doesn’t address the conflict’s root causes, Russian Council on Foreign & Defense Policy Dmitry Suslov has told Sputnik.
Succumbing to the “hypocritical flattery” of the neocon wing of the GOP, plus hawkish European allies, Trump is being lobbied to believe that acting “tough” works. At the same time, his intuition is telling him to try to avoid being dragged into a long confrontation with Russia, and thus “become a second Biden.”
The president’s problem is that he’s trying to “maneuver” between neocons and MAGA Republicans who don’t want any more wars on US taxpayers’ dime. “Trump wants to somehow demonstrate toughness to put pressure on Russia, but doesn’t want to ‘privatize’ the Ukraine war,” Suslov argues.
If he uses the leftover $4B from Biden’s budget for Ukraine, he can continue to make the argument that this is ‘not his war’.
But “if he asks Congress for a new budget to support Ukraine, it will mean that Biden’s war has turned into Trump’s war,” Suslov stresses.
“This would be a political disaster, a political defeat for Trump, because he would antagonize his MAGA base even further,” the observer noted. “Trump would effectively become a second Biden, thus committing political suicide.”
As for arms deliveries vs. dialog, everything comes down to the “risks of escalation,” according to Suslov. If Trump approves the use of ATACMS missiles for deep strikes into Russia, this would increase the risks of a direct Russia-NATO clash.
If his efforts are limited to freezing the rapprochement and new sanctions, the impact wouldn’t be nearly as serious, the analyst argues.
Whatever comes next, Russia will “continue its special military operation, and continue to intensify offensive operations and strikes against military and MIC targets in Ukraine, regardless of what the US does or does not do,” Suslov summed up.
