Pandering to Putin
Today, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is visiting the White House and signing an agreement that will give the United States access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals. Trump has framed the agreement as a chance for Ukraine to repay the U.S. for the assistance that has been provided since Russia invaded its country three years ago this week.
In reality, these negotiations are happening largely on Russia’s terms, as opposed to what has been longstanding U.S. policy of standing with our democratic ally Ukraine. Trump is essentially extorting $500 billion in rare earth minerals from Ukraine and refusing to give Zelenskyy the security guarantees he’s seeking. This comes after Trump falsely blamed Ukraine for the war that has killed tens of thousands of its own citizens, called Zelenskyy a “dictator without elections,” and asserted Ukraine can “forget about” joining NATO, echoing Putin’s talking points.
Since he was elected, Donald Trump has fundamentally shifted U.S. foreign policy away from our democratic allies amid the largest war in Europe since WWII, relinquishing leverage and appeasing Putin even before negotiations began. Our abandonment of Ukraine isn’t just a stunning reversal of U.S. foreign policy, it’s indicative of a larger trend – Trump is turning the United States away from democracy and toward dictatorship at home and abroad.
THIS WEEK AT THE UN
This was painfully apparent on Monday at the United Nations (UN), where – on the three-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion – the United States voted against a European resolution condemning Russian aggression and supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. In a stunning reversal of policy, the United States voted with Russia, North Korea, Sudan, Belarus, Hungary, and other dictatorships for the first time. As if that wasn’t enough, Trump also pressured Israel to join us in our abandonment of Ukraine on the world stage.
An Israeli official reported that “there was a lot of pressure from the U.S.” which “insisted” Israel vote with the Trump administration against Ukraine. The Israeli official clarified that the UN vote “wasn’t easy for us…we preferred to avoid this situation.” In the end, the official clarified, “we had no choice but to take a side” and Israel joined us in voting with Russia and North Korea. Sixty-five countries, including Iran and Cuba, abstained.
The Trump administration, which claims to be a strong supporter of Israel, pressured Israel to vote against its own policy at the UN. That’s not a “pro-Israel” position. It’s a purely transactional approach, which is how Donald Trump treats everything and everyone; Israel is no exception.
“TRUMP’S SUPPORT OF ISRAEL IS NOT GUARANTEED”
Last year, Trump’s former National Security Advisor John Bolton told The New York Times that “Trump’s support for Israel in the first term is not guaranteed in the second term, because Trump’s positions are made on the basis of what’s good for Donald Trump, not on some coherent theory of national security.”
That’s what we saw this week at the UN. America’s foreign policy decisions are being made based on Trump’s self-interest, which is closely aligned with Russia. America’s decades-long commitment to NATO, the Transatlantic Alliance, and even our commitment to Israel be damned. Trump is going to make decisions based on his own political calculations and – as we saw this week at the UN – drag Israel along for the ride.
THE TRUMP DOUBLE STANDARD
If any Democrat caused the U.S. to abandon our allies and pressured Israel to vote against its policy and interests at the UN, there would be widespread Republican outrage. But in the Trump era, the standards are different. What was the Republican response this week to Trump “insisting” Israel vote with Russia and North Korea at the UN? Complete silence.
Democrats have spoken out and this week attempted to pass a resolution condemning the vote at the UN, led by Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego. Gallego stated, “Let’s be clear on this: this is a war that Russia started. Ukraine did not ask for it…They did not ask to go to war with a nuclear superpower, and they did not ask for their cities to be reduced to rubble. They didn’t ask for their children to be displaced and families to be torn apart. If Ukraine had its way, this war would have ended years ago.”
What was the Republican response? They blocked the resolution for no clear reason. They’re doing Trump’s bidding, even when they know it’s a violation of America’s best national security interest and that of our allies.
TRUMP’S JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS
Next week, Donald Trump will give an address to a joint session of Congress. While we don’t know exactly what he’ll say in his address, given the steady stream of blatant lies Trump has told since assuming office, it’s unlikely to be rooted in fact. It’s also unlikely to be aligned with the best interests of the American people and the United States.
At JDCA, we’re here to check and present the facts, advance and advocate for our values, and support Democrats who share our values. We have multiple ways for you to get involved to help us defend democracy and improve the state of our union in the next week.
- Join us on Wednesday, March 5, at 2:00 p.m. ET to hear from New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand responding to Trump’s address;
- Join us every Monday at 5:30 p.m. CT/6:30 p.m. ET to make calls in Wisconsin in support of Judge Susan Crawford, the liberal judge running for the swing seat that will determine the majority on Wisconsin’s Supreme Court. This is a critical race that will serve as the first electoral check on Donald Trump, and we’re mobilizing to ensure Democrats win.
- Take action and contact your members of Congress, urging them to assert their constitutional authority and defend our democracy amid the administration’s persistent attacks. Tens of thousands of Jewish Americans have already called or emailed their elected officials, and the pressure must continue.
Shabbat Shalom,
Halie Soifer
CEO, Jewish Democratic Council of America