THE MOSCOW TIMES – OPINION: This has been the week when everything changed.
From U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth’s comments about NATO and Ukraine, through Vice President J.D. Vance’s explosive speech to the Munich Security Conference, to Tuesday’s U.S.-Russia talks and President Donald Trump’s press conference, the new U.S. administration has signaled the most dramatic reorientation of American foreign policy since the Second World War.
Trump’s desire to disengage from NATO and develop good relations with the Kremlin was obvious during his first presidency. But he was unable to do either. In his second term, he is surrounded by individuals who share these views – most importantly, Elon Musk — and by others, such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who have been willing to pivot away from their previous views on the need to oppose Russia and support Ukraine.
The Trump administration has made it clear that they see the NATO alliance as a burden, not a strength, that values no longer connect the U.S. and Europe, and that, in any case, values are less important than hard power.
Their approach to Ukraine has been even more stark. Although the details of a Trump “deal” on Ukraine are still unclear, the administration has cut Ukraine out of talks about the war, seemingly expected Ukraine to sacrifice territory, give up its NATO aspirations, and tried to force Kyiv to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in rare earth mineral rights in exchange for previous aid and the vague suggestion of some type of security assistance in the future. In shameful comments after the U.S.-Russia meeting on Tuesday, Trump appeared to blame Ukraine for the war inflicted on it.
In contrast, the White House appears not to require any concessions from Moscow. Instead, they are keen to normalize relations to develop “economic and investment opportunities” and to see Russia accepted back into the G7/G8. The scrapping of some or all sanctions seems likely. The Trump administration increasingly looks as if it is aligning itself with Russia — against Ukraine and perhaps even against the rest of the West.
This unprecedented change in Washington’s view of the world — and of the U.S.’s role in it — is transforming Europe and the global balance of power. » | Ruth Deyermond | Thursday, February 20, 2025
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