What is motivating Donald Trump's foreign policy?

“The United States launched a trade war against Canada, their closest ally and partner... At the same time, they're talking about working positively with Russia (and) appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying dictator... Make that make sense.” I have thought a lot about what then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said at a March 4 news conference, in the aftermath of a notorious Oval Office meeting where President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance lambasted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for not being thankful enough for American support.

- Elizabeth Shackelford, Tribune News Service

Trump then cut off US military assistance to Ukraine to pressure Zelenskyy to agree to a bad deal but applied no pressure at all to Putin, even as he continued deadly attacks. “You should never have started it,” Trump said to Zelenskyy, blaming him for Russia's invasion of his country.

The Trump administration's proposed deal to end the war in Ukraine was everything Putin was asking for: legal recognition of Russia’s control of Crimea, unofficial recognition of Russia's control of nearly everything else it has seized since 2022, a commitment that Ukraine will never join NATO, lifting all sanctions imposed on Russia since 2014 and enhanced US-Russia economic cooperation. In return, Ukraine would receive only a vague "security guarantee" and commitment to help rebuild, with no assurance that the United States would help provide either or details of who might.