If Russian President Vladimir V. Putin were to create a wishlist for Washington, it would be hard to surpass what he received during the initial 100 days of President Trump’s new administration.
Demands for Ukraine to give up land to Russia? Check.
A promise of easing sanctions? Check.
A free pass for invading Ukraine? Check.
As Mr. Trump interacted with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of Pope Francis’ funeral on Saturday, it became clear that the president’s peace approach was heavily biased, allowing Russia to retain territories it seized unlawfully while preventing Ukraine from joining NATO, ever.
Moreover, Mr. Putin has gained additional advantages from Trump’s return to the presidency. Whether by intention or coincidence, many of Trump’s initiatives also align with Moscow’s interests, including the divisions he has created among traditional U.S. allies and the adjustments made within the U.S. government.
Mr. Trump is dismantling established American institutions that have long frustrated Moscow, such as Voice of America and the National Endowment for Democracy. He has weakened the U.S. in its covert battle against Russia by pausing cyber offensive operations and limiting programs aimed at countering Russian disinformation, election meddling, sanction violations, and war crimes.
He has exempted Russia from the tariffs applied to nearly every other country, claiming that Russia is already facing sanctions. However, he did impose tariffs on Ukraine, the other nation under negotiation. In a departure from his previous term, Politico reported that Trump’s team is considering lifting sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline to Europe, a project he has consistently criticized.
“Trump has played right into Putin’s hands,” stated Ivo Daalder, CEO of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and a former NATO ambassador under President Barack Obama. “It’s hard to imagine how Trump could have acted much differently if he were indeed a Russian asset during these first 100 days of his second term.”
Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, dismissed the idea that Trump’s actions benefit Russia. “The president only acts in American interests,” she asserted in an interview.
She emphasized that there is no link between Russia and the cuts to various organizations orchestrated by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, and similar initiatives to reduce government size.
“DOGE is unrelated to our national security team’s efforts to resolve the war,” she said. “These aren’t deliberate actions by the president to appease Russia. His focus concerning Russia and Ukraine centers on satisfying global expectations by ending the war and achieving a peaceful resolution.”
Mr. Trump has consistently rebuffed allegations of being lenient on Russia, even while expressing admiration for Mr. Putin. He strongly criticized Putin recently after a missile attack on Kyiv resulted in at least a dozen fatalities, urging on social media, “Vladimir, STOP!”
When questioned later by reporters, Mr. Trump denied he was solely pressuring Ukraine for concessions. “We’re exerting significant pressure on Russia, and they’re aware of that,” he claimed.
When asked what Russia would need to concede for a peace agreement, Mr. Trump only stated that Russia was not permitted to take full control of Ukraine—something it has been unable to do militarily since its large-scale invasion began three years ago. “Halting the war and stopping the entire country from being seized is a significant concession,” he remarked.
However, what stands out about Mr. Trump’s return is how many of his actions over the last three months are perceived as favorable to Russia, either directly or indirectly—so much so that Russian officials in Moscow have publicly commended some of his decisions.
Following his moves to dissolve Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, two U.S.-funded news organizations that have provided independent coverage to the Soviet Union and later to Russia, Margarita Simonyan, the head of Russian state broadcaster RT, praised it as “an impressive decision by Trump.” She added, “We could not shut them down; fortunately, America did that themselves.”
These are just a few examples of U.S. government entities that Mr. Trump and Mr. Musk have set their sights on, to the delight of Russia. Moscow has long detested the U.S. Agency for International Development, the National Endowment for Democracy, the International Republican Institute, and the National Democratic Institute, all of which support democracy-boosting initiatives the Kremlin perceives as part of a regime change strategy, and all of which are now facing cuts.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s new restructuring plan for the department also targets offices that Russia has historically found aggravating, like the democracy and human rights bureau, which would be merged into a foreign assistance office. Rubio stated that the bureau had become a “platform for left-leaning activists to settle scores” against conservative foreign leaders in nations like Poland, Hungary, and Brazil.
“Ultimately, this will advantage Russia under Putin in the long run,” remarked Alina Polyakova, president of the Center for European Policy Analysis. “These types of democracy promotion efforts, seen across multiple administrations, were a way to gain allies and enhance America’s global standing. By retracting, we undermine that, allowing Russia to gain ground.”
Analyst Samuel Charap from RAND Corporation mentioned that many of Trump’s actions were not specifically intended to satisfy Moscow. “I don’t believe the Russians viewed these actions as items they needed to negotiate, even with the U.S.,” he noted, referring to the dismantling of Voice of America. “But they’re pleased to see it disappear.”
Concurrently, Charap pointed out that Trump’s proposed Ukraine peace plan, although leaning in favor of Moscow, does not address significant issues that Russia demands to be part of any agreement, such as banning foreign military forces from Ukraine.
“It overlooks many critical issues that they have identified as key priorities in negotiating the Ukraine conflict,” he said, “and the concessions…
“Some decisions made may not have aligned with their primary objectives.”
Several targets of the Trump administration’s budget cuts are pushing back, and it remains uncertain how many cuts will actually take effect. A federal judge recently halted Mr. Trump from dismantling Voice of America while further legal proceedings occur. The Trump administration filed an appeal on Friday. Additionally, the National Endowment for Democracy, along with various aid organizations and other entities, are also pursuing legal action.
However, some government projects lack similar legal avenues for resistance. Earlier this month, Mr. Rubio closed an office that monitored foreign disinformation, particularly from Russia and other adversaries, claiming the Biden administration aimed to “censor American voices.”
This week, the White House included Tim Pool, a right-leaning commentator, in the press pool. He was reportedly paid $100,000 per video for his contributions to a social media platform, which the Justice Department labeled a Russian influence scheme. Mr. Pool stated he was unaware that the payments originated from Russia and has not faced any legal charges.
Some positions held by the Trump administration deviate from long-standing Republican beliefs, and at times, even from those of Mr. Trump’s own team. The National Endowment for Democracy was established under President Ronald Reagan. The previous stance on Russian crimes was mandated by a law co-sponsored by Representative Michael Waltz, a Republican from Florida, who currently serves as Mr. Trump’s national security adviser.
It is commonly accepted that Russia will retain the territory it has claimed as part of any peace agreement. However, Mr. Trump is extending this further by suggesting official U.S. recognition of Russia’s claim over Crimea, which was taken from Ukraine in 2014 against international law. This proposal has shocked many in Ukraine and its allies in Washington and Europe.
Such a decision would reverse the policy of the previous Trump administration. In 2018, Mr. Trump’s State Department issued a statement asserting its “non-recognition of the Kremlin’s claims over territory acquired through force,” similar to the U.S. stance on Soviet control over the Baltic states for decades.
In 2022, Mr. Rubio, who was then a Republican senator, co-sponsored a law preventing U.S. acknowledgment of any Russian claims over Ukrainian land. He stated, “The United States cannot validate Putin’s assertions, or we risk setting a dangerous precedent for other authoritarian regimes, like the Chinese Communist Party, to follow.”
In contrast, Mr. Trump recently indicated in an interview with Time magazine that the U.S. might indeed recognize Mr. Putin’s claim. He effectively did so without waiting for any formal agreement.
“Crimea is going to remain with Russia,” he stated during an interview released on Friday. He again placed blame on Ukraine for Russia’s invasion, claiming, “The war began when they discussed joining NATO.”
According to David Shimer, a former advisor on Russia for President Joseph R. Biden Jr., Mr. Trump’s pro-Russia stance and the weakening of U.S. institutions that displease Moscow undermines America’s position against a significant adversary. Last month, Shimer remarked that the intelligence community recognized Russia as an “ongoing potential threat to U.S. influence, presence, and global interests.”
Shimer commented, “This current strategy benefits Russia significantly—making one concession after another regarding Ukraine, dismantling essential soft power resources, and weakening our alliances in Europe, which have historically empowered the U.S. to confront Russian aggression from a position of strength.”
