After the recent Russian attack on Kyiv, in which at least 12 people lost their lives, President Trump publicly expressed his displeasure with Vladimir Putin, saying he was “not happy” with Moscow’s actions.
“I don’t know what the hell happened to Putin,” Trump said. The Russian president’s decisions have also created a rift within the MAGA movement, whose members now seem more divided than ever over what concerns the conflict in Europe.
Some are calling for tougher measures, including sanctions against Moscow and more military aid to Ukraine, while others argue that Trump is not fully informed about the facts or is even being maneuvered. The one point on which they all agree is criticism of the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, who remains a favorite target of the U.S. right.
Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Trump declared that he would end the war within 24 hours of his return to the White House, but months later negotiations remain stalled. On Sunday, Trump implied that Putin may not actually want to end the war.
He also criticized Zelensky, saying that “everything out of his mouth causes problems.” However, leading Republicans have broken their silence in recent days, urging the MAGA leader to increase pressure on Putin after Russia’s deadly attacks in Kyiv.
“I’ve had enuf of Putin killing innocent ppl,” Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Monday. “Pres Trump take action.”
“It is a time for honesty,” Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska wrote instead, “Peace talks are having zero effect on Putin. His goal is to dominate Ukraine & he won’t stop until he realizes he cannot win. The U.S. & Allies must arm Ukraine to the teeth, sanction Russia to the max, & confiscate the $300B in overseas Russian assets.”
“Putin’s deliberate use of violence against civilian targets for three straight days requires a response”, added former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich, “American military aid to Ukraine should be dramatically increased in quantity, quality, and freedom to use it anywhere—including in Russia.”
However, other right-wingers think otherwise. “If you’re a Russian and listened to Trump prior to the election, you would have assumed when he took office that he would have withdrawn all support for Ukraine,” retired U.S. Army Colonel Douglas Macgregor said. “Through some bad advice, he did the opposite.”
After the latest attacks on Kyiv Zelensky declared: “Like any criminal, Russia can only be constrained by force. Only through strength—the strength of the United States, of Europe, of all nations that value life—can these attacks be stopped and real peace achieved”.
