Moments after the Senate confirmed former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard as Director of Intelligence under President Donald Trump, the administration’s approach to foreign relations took a dramatic turn. Trump took to Truth Social to announce his latest diplomatic engagement—one that has raised concerns among security analysts.
“I just had a lengthy and highly productive phone call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia,” Trump posted. “We discussed Ukraine, the Middle East, Energy, Artificial Intelligence, the power of the Dollar, and various other subjects.” He further revealed, “We agreed to work together, very closely, including visiting each other’s Nations.
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We have also agreed to have our respective teams start negotiations immediately, and we will begin by calling President Zelenskyy, of Ukraine, to inform him of the conversation, something which I will be doing right now.” The 90-minute phone call, reported by CNN, comes just after another controversial appointment—Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth—whose recent remarks on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine suggested a shift in U.S. policy.
Hegseth stated that returning territory occupied by Russia “will only prolong the war and cause more suffering,” a stance that some experts interpret as an implicit concession to Moscow. CNN national security analyst Alex Marquart reacted with concern during an interview with host Dana Bash. “Now you have Trump saying, ‘Well, you know, maybe I’ll go there,'” Bash noted, referring to Trump’s potential visit to Russia.
“It’s obviously all part of a larger dance that we’re now seeing bubble up into the public. You have the hostage release, you have –– excuse me, not hostage, the prisoner exchange, very important distinction –– and, um, and then all of these puzzle pieces falling into place.” Marquart called the shift in diplomatic tone “staggering.”
“Yeah, we knew, obviously, the approach to Russia and Ukraine was going to change with this administration, but this is just staggering,” he said. “And I think that [CNN’s] Jeff Zeleny is right: that this is a real moment.” For Ukrainians, the implications are deeply troubling. “If you’re a Ukrainian today, you are really worried,” Marquart stated.
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“You’re upset and you’re angry because we are expecting in the next few weeks, the Trump administration to essentially roll out their plan to ending this war that has been going on for the past three years. And what you’ve seen yesterday and today is a real rapprochement between Washington and Moscow.”
Further fueling speculation about a major policy shift, the recent release of American prisoner Marc Fogel from Russia was described by the White House as a “show of good faith” in ongoing Ukraine negotiations. Marquart questioned, “Here you have this phone call today, and President Trump is saying that these negotiations are going to start. What does it mean for Ukraine?”
With Trump’s diplomatic outreach to Putin and his administration’s new stance on Russia, the global community is closely watching how U.S. policy will evolve in the coming weeks.
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