SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN: If Trump wants a Ukraine deal, he should reread his own book

Since his archetypal time successful office, President Donald Trump has mismanaged negotiations implicit an extremity to the warfare successful Ukraine. More than 100 days later, guiltless Ukrainians are inactive dying portion the president gets played by Russian President Vladimir Putin – illustrated starkly by the barrages of drones and missiles continually aimed astatine Ukrainian cities arsenic Trump posts online. 

It’s bully to perceive Trump yet explicit immoderate vexation toward Putin and admit that his negotiating tactics aren’t working, that, arsenic helium says, Putin is "just tapping maine along, and has to beryllium dealt with differently." The reasons for this aren’t complicated. Instead of expanding his leverage implicit Russa, Trump offered concession aft concession earlier talks adjacent began. 

Getting U.S. argumentation close successful Ukraine matters. If we let Russia to extremity these negotiations arsenic the victor, our NATO allies successful Poland and the Baltics could beryllium next. China’s President Xi Jinping volition gully wide lessons from our capitulation arsenic China plots a takeover of Taiwan. And would-be aggressors the satellite implicit volition spot that the planetary bid that — portion imperfect — has created stableness and prosperity successful overmuch of the satellite has ended.  

TRUMP TELLS PUTIN 'STOP' AFTER DEADLY RUSSIAN STRIKES ON KYIV

Sadly, Trump is improbable to perceive to me, to our allies, oregon adjacent to tenable voices wrong his ain White House and administration. My hope, though, is that helium volition beryllium guided by the concepts from his ain playbook — "The Art of the Deal" — to secure a conscionable peace and extremity this war. 

Russia launched its largest aerial battle connected Ukraine since the warfare started. (Reuters/Gleb Garanich)

Fight back 

Donald Trump says ne'er fto yourself beryllium pushed astir — but that’s precisely what Putin is doing to him. When Trump projected an unconditional ceasefire, Putin delayed and past changeable a rocket astatine a playground afloat of children. When Trump threatened further sanctions if Putin didn’t hold to a ceasefire, Putin blew past Trump’s demands without consequence. 

Instead of continuing to get pushed around, the president should heed his ain words: "You bash your thing, you clasp your ground, you basal up tall, and immoderate happens, happens." Backing down present by threatening to locomotion distant from talks is incentivizing Putin. This weakness invites Russian and Chinese aggression due to the fact that an casual woody contiguous undermines information for Europe, Taiwan and the United States tomorrow.  

TRUMP SAYS HE IS 'PISSED OFF' WITH PUTIN OVER LACK OF PEACE PROGRESS: REPORT

Trump should summation sanctions — not conscionable endanger them — and supply continued information assistance and quality sharing to Ukraine to prolong its warfare efforts against Russia. We should besides reconsider Ukraine’s involvement successful NATO rank to use each points of unit connected Putin.  

Use your leverage 

Russia’s system is successful existent occupation with hundreds of thousands of Russians having been killed oregon wounded connected the beforehand lines. Putin needs this warfare to end. I couldn’t hold much with Trump erstwhile helium wrote: "The worst happening you tin perchance bash successful a woody is look hopeless to marque it. That makes the different feline odor blood, and past you’re dead." 

Trump should not enactment arsenic though Americans request this warfare to extremity much than the Russians do. While everyone wants to spot an extremity to the bloodshed, America indispensable attack these negotiations from a presumption of strength, truthful we tin unafraid the champion imaginable deal. Our system and alliances dwarf those of Russia, which is poorer, much isolated and severely diminished by Putin’s war. 

TRUMP BLAMES BIDEN FOR GETTING US INTO A 'MESS WITH RUSSIA'

Trump should besides not springiness distant our leverage for thing and that includes the economical mightiness and governmental unity of our European partners. Presenting a agreed beforehand means implementing punishing corporate sanctions that person damaged Russia’s system and thrown soil successful its warfare gears. Acting unneurotic with our allies undermines Putin’s docket successful Europe, inflicts the top symptom connected Russia’s system and importantly limits Russia’s negotiating space. 

Deliver the goods 

Deeds substance much than words. As Trump wrote himself: "If you don’t present the goods, radical volition yet drawback on." He has profoundly weakened decades of American enactment and credibility by abandoning our allies and the rules-based strategy that allowed for predictability, bid and prosperity for Americans and overmuch of the world.  

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION

The lone mode to hole America’s credibility is to beryllium decisive and amusement American strength. An contiguous ceasefire allows Trump to present connected his committedness to the American radical and trial Russia’s willingness to question peace. But helium should marque wide that a stiffer sanctions package, including secondary sanctions outlined successful Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham and Democrat Sen. Richard Blumenthal’s legislation, volition beryllium imposed imminently. More than 80 senators of some parties person endorsed this bill. He indispensable person Putin — done bold and decisive enactment — that continued warfare is folly. Only past volition determination beryllium a durable bid that restores deterrence successful Europe and allows Ukraine to rebuild.  

Smoke rises implicit the Kyiv skyline aft a Russian attack, Monday, July 8, 2024. Russian forces launched aggregate ballistic and cruise missiles against Ukrainian targets connected Monday, Ukraine’s aerial unit said, with explosions felt and heard crossed the capital, Kyiv. (AP Photo/ Evgeniy Maloletka)

Conclusion 

Ukraine’s signing of the mineral woody with the U.S. is simply a promising step, successful opposition to Putin’s caller no-show successful Ankara. Trump tin re-start bid efforts connected his ain presumption by imposing a stiffer sanctions bundle connected Russia without delay. If helium is so committed to securing Ukraine’s autarkic future, Trump indispensable show that helium is successful the stronger position. 

PUTIN REPORTEDLY CONCERNED OVER RUSSIA'S ECONOMY AHEAD OF POSSIBLE TRUMP TARIFFS

But fto maine beryllium clear: based connected its history, the Kremlin is not funny successful peace. Whether successful Moldova, Georgia oregon Ukraine, Moscow has demonstrated strategical patience and abused others’ bully religion to drawstring retired negotiations and past escalate erstwhile it sees fit. Simply put, erstwhile you springiness Putin an inch, helium volition instrumentality a mile. The lone mode to forestall this continued rhythm is to unafraid a bid statement that retains Ukraine’s nationalist individuality and that offers lasting security. Only past volition President Trump forestall further aggression that threatens to gully America into aboriginal conflict.  

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

We are successful a captious signifier of negotiations and whether we get it close oregon incorrect volition reverberate for decades.