Try GOLD - Free
After Alaska, What's Next for Russia's War on Ukraine?
The Sunday Guardian
|August 24, 2025
Trump's inconsistent Ukraine policy aids Putin's strategy, complicates peace, and risks weakening Western unity against Russia's ongoing aggression.
A defining feature of Trump 2.0 is a pattern of firmly setting out on one course, only to change direction, sometimes more than once. The distinguished Financial Times columnist, Robert Armstrong, coined the phrase "Trump Always Chickens Out," for this behavior, or TACO. Other commentators prefer the term "flip-flop." Nowhere are these words more appropriate than in Trump's attitude to Russia and the war in Ukraine.
During his 2024 campaign, Donald Trump repeatedly insisted that he would end the Russia-Ukraine war within 24 hours of inauguration. This was a classic Trump boast, which few if any took seriously. It was therefore not surprising that the pledge quickly softened in January this year when Trump's special envoy to Ukraine, Lt Gen Keith Kellogg, announced that the Administration now aimed for a "solid and sustainable" agreement within 100 days instead.
The following month, Trump initiated a surprise phone call with Vladimir Putin, aiming to restart direct US-Russia negotiations, drawing criticism for bypassing Kyiv and European allies. Then in July, Trump changed his mind and reversed a pause on military aid following a major Russian drone and missile assault on Ukraine. He threatened 100% tariffs and secondary sanctions on countries trading with Russia if a ceasefire wasn't agreed within 50 days.
Around the same period, he publicly stated that he was "angry" with Putin and threatened secondary oil tariffs if Russia didn't halt its aggression. Just days later, however, Trump changed his mind again and dialed back, urging European allies to take a lead in supporting Ukraine and scaling back direct US military involvement.
SUMMER BROUGHT MORE DRAMATIC REVERSALS AND CONTRADICTIONS
This story is from the August 24, 2025 edition of The Sunday Guardian.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Sunday Guardian
The Sunday Guardian
Remembrance of God
Dhikr, meaning remembrance, that is, remembrance of God, is one of the basic teachings of Islam.
1 mins
November 09, 2025
The Sunday Guardian
Scientists find E. Coli spreads as fast as swine flu
Researchers have, for the first time, estimated how quickly E. Coli bacteria can spread between people, and one strain moves as fast as swine flu.
1 mins
November 09, 2025
The Sunday Guardian
Sugarcane farmers bring Karnataka government to its knees
The ongoing agitation by sugarcane farmers in Karnataka's Belagavi district took a violent turn on Friday.
3 mins
November 09, 2025
The Sunday Guardian
THE COURAGE TO STAND WHEN THE WORLD LOOKS AWAY
What connected the honorees was not ideology, religion, or ethnicity. It was the understanding that freedom is not merely a right; it is a responsibility.
3 mins
November 09, 2025
The Sunday Guardian
EXTERMINATE MOSQUITOES TO ERADICATE EIGHT DEADLY DISEASES
Till now, Iceland, with a harsh, unique climate and geographical isolation, was the only country in the world that was completely free of mosquitoes. Three mosquitoes were found in the Kjos valley in October 2025. Scientists blamed rising temperatures due to climate change and increased travel for these arrivals. Mosquitoes are vectors for deadly diseases like malaria, dengue, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis, Zika, yellow fever, West Nile virus fever, and filariasis. In 2023, there were an estimated 263 million malaria cases and 597,000 deaths globally. World Malaria Day on 25 April and National Dengue Day on May 16th in India highlight the need for public education, continued investment, and sustained political commitment for prevention and control measures, especially before the monsoon season. ‘Chikungunya' means \"to become contorted,\" (due to severe joint pains) in the Kimakonde language in Tanzania and Mozambique.
5 mins
November 09, 2025
The Sunday Guardian
PRESIDENT TRUMP NEARING THE FREE FALL PRECIPICE
The Democrats performed hara-kiri on themselves by electing as NYC Mayor, Zohran Mamdani, a candidate who could make the Democrats unelectable in much of the US. What could preserve the Democratic Party would be the continuation as President of the US by Donald Trump.
5 mins
November 09, 2025
The Sunday Guardian
Migration from home: Is it a curse or a blessing?
Bihar's migration debate deepens as remittances reshape rural life and social realities.
3 mins
November 09, 2025
The Sunday Guardian
The House of Mr Vance
Religious conversions have entirely different connotations for Hindus due to the coercive, including violent, nature of both Islamic and Christian proselytizing in the Indian subcontinent. In Western liberal societies, such as the US, however, religious conversions do not evoke the same response.
5 mins
November 09, 2025
The Sunday Guardian
AI boom drives Taiwan's exports to record $61.8 billion in October
Taiwan's exports in October surged 49.7 per cent year-on-year to USD 61.8 billion, a record monthly high, driven by strong global demand for artificial intelligence technologies (AI), according to Focus Taiwan.
1 mins
November 09, 2025
The Sunday Guardian
WELFARE DELIVERY, MODI FACTOR PROPELLING NDA IN BIHAR POLLS
The Bihar elections opened with opposition parties confident that Nitish Kumar's long incumbency and public fatigue courtesy his 20 years of rule would translate into a difficult contest for the NDA. In the early phase of campaigning, this seemed plausible. The same feeling was also shared by top National Democratic Alliance leaders while interacting with journalists privately, including by two senior BJP Union Ministers, who spoke to this correspondent before and after the poll schedule was announced.
5 mins
November 09, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size