NEW YORK, March 7. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump is a realist in politics and considers Ukraine a pawn that can be sacrificed to avoid an armed conflict with Russia, The New York Times observer Farah Stockmann said in her column.
According to her, Trump favors an approach to security that prioritizes strengthening his own power rather than spreading democratic ideology, while also avoiding direct confrontations with other strong players.
"Mr. Trump wants to avoid a war with Russia. <...> To Mr. Trump, America is a great power that Russia wouldn’t dare attack, and Ukraine is a pawn that can be sacrificed," the journalist continued.
She explained that what "matters most to Mr. Trump is not the wealth or ideology of a country but how powerful it is." The American leader allegedly believes in "dominating the weak and giving deference to the strong."
"It’s a strategy as old as time. It’s called realism," Stockmann pointed out.
The journalist also expressed the opinion that the current administration has come to realize two things: the liberal world order was sustained solely by American military might, and US residents no longer want to pay other people’s bills.
On March 3, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Zelensky’s remark about the conflict being far from over was "the worst statement that could have been made." He added that "America will not put up with it for much longer." Later that day, Trump said, apparently referring to Zelensky, that if someone doesn’t want peace in Ukraine, that person "will not stay here for long." He also expressed confidence in Russia’s desire to resolve the conflict. The White House then announced that Washington had suspended military aid to Kiev.