Trump’s Keystone Cops routine would be funny if the consequences weren’t so deadly

President Donald Trump has waived bipartisan sanctions on Russia that he signed into law the previous month, a move MS NOW frames as handing an advantage to a U. S. adversary. He described the decision as "very simple." It followed his approval of a Russian diesel arrangement and a slowdown of Starlink service over Ukraine, after which he offered denials that stopped short of accepting responsibility, according to MS NOW. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told "Meet the Press" that his country could not hold out if Washington effectively sided with Moscow.

The outlet argues Russia is edging toward victory in Ukraine and may look next to the rest of Europe. It notes that The Wall Street Journal's editorial page has described Trump as Vladimir Putin's best friend in the world. Commentator David Ignatius called the diesel deal a betrayal of Ukrainians facing a brutal winter, saying nothing suggests it will lower prices for consumers.

The political fallout is landing on Republicans heading into the midterms. A Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll puts Trump's approval at 33%, below its level after the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on Congress, and only 18% of Americans say they are better off than a year earlier.

Summarized by PolitiKool from MS NOW’s reporting. Read the full story at MS NOW →