Retired Gen. Jack Keane urged on America’s Newsroom that President Trump must stop playing nice and get tougher with Vladimir Putin — a blunt, no-nonsense warning that should ring through the halls of Washington. Keane made clear that Russia is testing American resolve and that a reset of our posture is long overdue.
Keane has repeatedly argued that Moscow believes the United States is weak and that our adversaries are operating from a position of advantage unless we change the rules of engagement. He warned that the old model of quiet diplomacy and back-channel deals has failed, and blunt force — taking away what Russia values — is the language dictators understand.
Those warnings came as Trump has pursued a mix of bold diplomacy, including discussions about ending the Russia-Ukraine war, but Keane reminded viewers that negotiating with Putin will not be easy or straightforward. The retired general stressed that any talks must be backed by demonstrable leverage and the credible threat of real consequences, not hollow promises or media theater.
The recent prisoner swap and hostage situations only underline Keane’s point: our current playbook leaves Americans exposed and sends the wrong message to hostile regimes. Keane bluntly called the model broken and argued we must stop rewarding bad behavior with concessions while pretending we’ve succeeded.
Practical conservative policy follows naturally from his diagnosis — strengthen sanctions that bite, ramp up lethal and defensive support for Ukraine to give Kyiv true bargaining power, and harden our cyber and economic counters so Moscow pays immediate, measurable costs. Keane has urged the incoming administration to ensure Ukraine has leverage in any deal, not just platitudes that let Putin walk away with gains.
President Trump has the political spine and popular mandate to reorder this relationship, but Keane warned that timing and resolve matter: don’t rush into a ceasefire that cages freedom; use the negotiation as a leverage point backed by consequences. Conservatives should cheer a leader who understands that peace without strength is surrender, and that America’s security cannot be negotiated away to placate an ambitious czar.
Americans who love liberty must demand a foreign policy that reflects our values and our power — not the soft-on-our-enemies approach Washington’s elites offer up when they’d rather score headlines than win. If Mr. Trump listens to straight shooters like Gen. Keane and slaps sanctions, military readiness, and American resolve back on the table, we’ll protect our interests, stand with our allies, and finally show the world that America is serious again.
