Donald Trump’s approach marks a sharp departure from Ronald Reagan’s hardline legacy against the Kremlin. While Reagan faced protests in Britain in 1982 for being too tough on Moscow, Trump about to stay at Windsor Castle himself is now criticized for repeatedly yielding to Russia, especially with his recent retreat on Ukraine.
Before traveling to the UK, Trump backed down from imposing new sanctions on Moscow despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s continued attacks on Ukrainian civilians since their Alaska summit. Trump’s belief that peace was near and that he might earn a Nobel Peace Prize has been widely questioned as events unfolded.
Donald Trump has also minimized Russia’s aggressive drone incursions into NATO countries, suggesting they might have been accidental a stance that would have shocked Reagan, whose policies helped the U.S. win the Cold War and shaped GOP hawkishness that Trump has since overturned.
Donald Trump meet Vladimir Putin
While Trump’s latest sanctions delay barely registered in U.S. media focused on other events, he recently posted a letter on Truth Social telling NATO allies he was ready to impose “major sanctions on Russia” if they first stop buying Russian oil that fuels Moscow’s war effort. Though this sounds reasonable, it’s widely seen as a tactic to avoid acting himself by setting conditions unlikely to be met.
Trump also demanded NATO back his sweeping trade war on China by slapping steep tariffs, ignoring that NATO is a defensive alliance, not a trade organization. Many of its members have already been targets of Trump’s tariffs and are unlikely to comply with further economic pressure.
Overall, Trump’s Ukraine policy highlights his willingness to weaken traditional alliances and avoid confronting Russia directly, signaling a profound shift in America’s global role compared to Reagan’s era.
