Vladimir Putin once again tried to play the strongman, publicly shrugging off fresh U.S. sanctions while grinning at the cameras and signaling he expects to weather the storm. The Russian leader’s theatrics are exactly why American policy can’t be wishful thinking; sanctions are a tool, not a substitute for real leverage and real talks that produce results.
Meanwhile, America’s new ambassador to NATO, Matt Whitaker, is increasingly sounding like the kind of no-nonsense envoy we need — warning that new measures remain on the table if Moscow refuses to negotiate in good faith. Whitaker’s confirmation and his tough posture make clear this administration will use both carrots and sticks to defend U.S. interests and push allies to shoulder their fair share.
President Trump’s push to end the killing in Ukraine has put diplomacy back on the table, with high-stakes summits and direct engagement with Vladimir Putin that the old Washington class would have criticized before even giving it a chance. The Alaska talks underscored a hard truth: coaxing a deal out of a dictator requires direct pressure, credible threats, and above all, an American willingness to drive a tough bargain rather than play geopolitical cop to the world.
Conservatives should cheer the effort to stop a grinding, endless war that drains our resources and puts our sons and daughters at risk of mission creep, while also refusing to reward a tyrant whose word is worthless. That doesn’t mean letting Putin off the hook — it means pairing negotiations with the clear promise of escalatory measures, including sanctions and tighter economic choke points, if he refuses to seize a real path to peace.
Let’s not forget the real scandal here: for years too many NATO partners have counted on American muscle while skimping on defense spending and political backbone. Whitaker’s insistence that allies must “pull their weight” is not isolationism, it’s common-sense burden-sharing that strengthens deterrence and makes any sanctions regime far more effective.
If Washington is serious, we will back diplomacy with consequences and offer Ukraine durable security guarantees only when those guarantees are credible and supported by real capabilities from Europe and America alike. That is the conservative way: defend our nation first, insist on fairness from our allies, and use firm, principled strength to compel an outcome that spares more American blood and taxpayer dollars.
Hardworking Americans deserve clarity and results, not virtue-signaling and endless giveaways to foreign interests. If Vladimir Putin thinks he can outwait us or laugh off consequences, he will keep testing us; it’s time to make him see that meaningful peace will come only when Moscow stops the guns, not when it gets comfortable with sanctions theater.
