Say You're POTUS. What Would You Do About the War in Ukraine?

U.S. President Donald Trump has been actively involved in a push for peace in Ukraine, setting a two-week deadline Aug 22 for a decision on whether to impose "massive sanctions or tariffs" on Russia. He has expressed frustration with the lack of progress on a face-to-face meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who Trump has likened to "oil and vinegar."

While there was initial optimism after an August 15 Trump-Putin summit in Anchorage, a concrete meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian leaders has not materialized. The Kremlin has stated that no meeting is planned, with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying an agenda is "not ready at all."

A key point of contention is the issue of security guarantees for post-war Ukraine. Ukraine is seeking strong guarantees, similar to NATO's Article 5, while Russia is opposed to any presence of NATO troops on Ukrainian soil and insists it must be a part of any security talks. The U.S. has ruled out sending American troops but may provide air support and intelligence.

On the front lines, there has been little change in the last two years, with Russian troops making slow incremental gains.

So put yourself in President Trump’s shoes. What would your policy be? Would you continue to be involved in seeking a resolution for this crisis, or would you cease all or most US involvement? Would you continue supplying weapons and munitions to Ukraine, even if paid for by the Europeans? Would you impose restrictions on how those weapons are used? Would you impose economic sanctions or tariffs on Russia’s trade partners if it continued to refuse to engage in peace negotiations? If there were peace negotiations, would you force Ukraine to give up any of its territory? Would you give it security guarantees in return? Would the guarantees include peacekeepers on the ground and, if yes, from what countries?

Obviously, it is a very complex problem, with many open ends and what-ifs. Come and join a thoughtful and, likely, spirited discussion trying to find the answers to the above questions, and others that come up. Or just sit back and listen to what others have to say. Zoom credentials will be provided on the day of the event.