Ukraine and America’s Credibility Crisis — with Anne Applebaum

What It Covers

Anne Applebaum analyzes Ukraine peace negotiations led by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, exposing how business interests drive US foreign policy, Russia's territorial demands, and Europe's strategic transformation amid American withdrawal from traditional diplomacy.

Key Questions Answered

• •Negotiation Corruption: US peace plan architects Witkoff and Dmitriev prioritize American-Russian business deals over Ukrainian sovereignty, including Arctic mineral rights and oil infrastructure projects. Original proposal contained extensive commercial arrangements benefiting negotiators' companies, marking unprecedented corruption in high-stakes foreign policy conducted by businesspeople rather than diplomats.
• •Territorial Demands: Russia seeks US recognition of occupied territories plus unconquered portions of Donetsk province, where Russia loses 15,000-20,000 soldiers monthly without success. Ukraine cannot politically accept surrendering fortified territory Russia failed to capture militarily, as this enables future invasion attempts and destabilizes the entire region.
• •European Self-Reliance: Europe now funds majority of Ukraine's war effort and weapons supply, with US providing primarily air defense systems. Poland, Scandinavia, Baltic states, and UK form emerging security alliance independent of NATO structures, recognizing American guarantees are no longer reliable for continental defense.
• •Ukrainian Innovation Advantage: Ukraine produces 100 long-range drones daily, launching 100 daily strikes against Russian oil refineries and tankers. This strategy targets Russian revenue rather than personnel, creating real economic sanctions where official Western sanctions fail. Ukrainian drone technology now leads globally, attracting international military delegations.
• •Kleptocracy Normalization: Trump administration refuses to enforce Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and cryptocurrency regulations, creating lawless business environment where pardons are purchasable and corruption goes unpunished. This mirrors Russian system where political power and economic ownership merge, fundamentally transforming American governance toward autocratic models.