President Trump’s rush to broker a ceasefire with Russia has jolted the conservative base with a gut-level question: are we trading victory and principle for the illusion of an easy deal? Reports show the administration has floated plans that risk accepting frozen territorial realities and even recognizing Russian control over parts of Ukraine — moves that would fundamentally alter the balance of power in Europe and reward Vladimir Putin’s aggression.
Veteran conservative voices like Steve Forbes have publicly warned that any settlement that undercuts Ukraine’s sovereignty would be a catastrophic strategic error, urging the White House not to hand Putin a political victory. Forbes has stressed that America must avoid a Munich-style appeasement that would embolden authoritarian regimes and weaken Western resolve.
Worse still, whispers about Washington eyeing a massive minerals-for-security arrangement and talks that sidelined Kyiv have only deepened the sense that the U.S. is bargaining away leverage rather than sharpening it. These are not hypothetical scenarios for debate; the idea that the U.S. should take an outsized cut of Ukraine’s resources or pressure Kyiv into concessions does not sit well with patriots who value honor, contracts, and standing with allies.
If conservation of American interests means anything, it means negotiating from strength — not sacrificing the sovereignty of a free nation to mollify a thug. Forbes and other conservative critics are right to demand a plan that preserves Ukraine’s viability: secure it with real guarantees, fortify its defenses, and use frozen Russian assets to rebuild, not to bankroll a capitulation.
The Kremlin, unsurprisingly, smells opportunity and has signaled that it believes U.S. mediation still benefits its aims, which should be a red flag for any realist who remembers history. We cannot allow Washington to become the broker of Europe’s decline by legitimizing territorial grabs; doing so would invite further aggression and degrade NATO’s credibility.
Conservatives must hold this administration accountable: resolve wars without surrendering principles, and back peace plans that protect liberty and deter future invasions. America is strongest when it champions the free world — not when it cuts deals that hand rivals strategic prizes while pretending we’re securing peace.
