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Welcome to logout: President Donald Trump is once again making overtures to Russia.
What happened? On Wednesday, Russia released an American prisoner, 74-year-old retired teacher Stephen Hubbard, back to the United States. Trump said in a social media post that “out of respect for President Trump, the United States does not need to give anything in return.”
Hubbard’s release is undoubtedly good news. But Trump is wrong: Just last month, his administration contributed to Russia in myriad, often incomprehensible ways, despite bipartisan condemnation.
What has Trump done for Russia? Late last week, he dropped impending economic sanctions on Russia that he had only recently signed into law after they passed Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support. He also:
Last month, Trump also invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the annual G20 summit later this year. This will be Putin’s first attendance since 2019.
What does Trump get out of all this? Hubbard was released, but on Trump’s own terms (as messy as they were), the U.S. offered nothing to ensure that — meaning that aside from covering up Russia’s role as an international bad guy and breaking with U.S. allies in Europe, all those benefits simply didn’t mean much.
Why is this important? Trump’s embrace of Russia comes at a terrible time for Ukraine, which is facing a Russian campaign to “bring Ukrainians to submission” as winter approaches, as The New York Times reported earlier this month. Still, on Wednesday, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff called Putin a “humanitarian.”
That’s it, time to log off…
Yesterday I was delighted to learn that the United States had its 64th new national park. Chiricahua National Park — until Tuesday, just a national monument — is the first new park in six years. Located in southeastern Arizona, it’s also known as the “Wonderland of Rocks,” according to the Washington Post; you can read more about it here via the gift link.
Have a great night and see you tomorrow!