US President Donald Trump’s voter approval rating now stands at a dismal 34% according to a Reuters poll. The GOP is facing a midterm massacre unless they reign in Trump’s pro-Russia policies that are harming Ukraine and the American economy with soaring energy costs and inflation.
An April 27 meeting between Iran’s Foreign minister and Russian President Vladimir Putin should alarm Congress. The added participation of Russia’s chief of military intelligence is alarming. His presence signals an ever-increasing more formidable Russia/Iran military partnership.
Trump’s announcement ending hostilities against Iran ignores Russia’s determination to cause havoc. This begs the question. When will the US Naval blockade in the straight of Hormuz end? Once that happens what would prevent a Russia/Iran partnership from controlling the Hormuz Strait, giving them leverage to cause greater chaos.
Not only has Russia been launching drones to kill Ukrainian civilians, but they have been sending drones to Iran with impunity. In addition, Russia is helping Iran target our American assets and soldiers.
“This is a betrayal of our servicemembers, our allies, and Democracy” according to Senator Ruben Gallego (R-AZ). He is sponsoring a bill with Senator Grassley (R-IA) reinstating Congressional oversight on oil sanctions against Russia. The No Oil Profit for Enemies Act was introduced after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent rewarded Russia by removing oil sanctions.
Sanctions removal at President Trump’s request could add an additional $10 billion dollars monthly to Russia’s war machine enabling them to send more military equipment to Iran. It was justified under the guise of increasing global oil supplies to lower gas prices. But after sanctions were lifted gas prices increased to a record $4.23 per gallon. These haphazard policies are causing Americans to suffer, while 1.6 million Ukrainian children suffer enslavement in Russian controlled Ukraine.
The Trump administration has advisers and envoys who are completely ineffective against the Kremlin’s negotiators.
Trumps stranglehold of the executive branch extends to the legislative branch. House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) refuse to allow voting on legislation opposed by Trump. This authoritative style of governance runs contrary to our constitutional republic that has checks and balances built into the system to prevent concentration of power into the hands of the president.
Both Trump and Putin are caught in their own self-serving disinformation trap. While there are no immediate consequences for Kremlin officials, the GOP faces backlash.
Putin invaded Ukraine with faulty information that his regime would quickly conquer Kyiv. In anticipation, Putin scheduled a victory celebration to occur a few days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Putin’s disinformation folly has resulted in 1.3 million Russian causalities (killed or severely wounded) in Europe’s deadliest war of the century. Despite this both Trump and Putin continue promoting Russia as the winner.
Trump’s press conference on April 28 reveals his disconnection to battlefield reality: “Ukraine, militarily they’re defeated.” This Kremlin echo is outrageously flawed. Russia’s losses in March reached a staggering 35,000 causalities, surpassing Russia’s rate of replenishment soldiers. How can Russia win a war when almost 90% of its soldiers are annihilated by Ukrainian launched drones before they can fire a single shot?
GOP Policy makers should heed Britain’s King Charles whose April 28 speech to Congress was met with wide bi-partisan adulation. He underscored the pitfalls of allowing excessive Executive branch overreach with a moral emphasis on international cooperation to help Ukraine.
Generally, the current administration has advisers and envoys who are completely ineffective against the Kremlin’s masterful, albeit evil negotiators. One knowledgeable standout would be Secretary of State Marco Rubio who appears subordinate to Trump.
Compare this to Ronald Reagan’s Foreign Relations experts who successfully developed policies that helped end the Cold War. Instead of dictating his demands Reagan listened and willed their brilliant strategies into reality arguably ending the Cold War that saved American taxpayers trillions of dollars. Meanwhile, the Congressional Budget Office reported a soaring $164 billion deficit for March, partly because of the Iran war and with no end in sight.
Republicans should take the cue from the No Oil Profit for Enemies Act. Aside from sanction reinstatement it serves as a warning that the GOP is facing a historical defeat in the midterm elections unless Congress regains legislative control from the president.
The views expressed in this opinion article are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post.