On December 2, 2025, President Trump’s envoy Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff sat across the table from Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin for roughly five hours in a high-stakes bid to advance a new peace proposal for Ukraine. The encounter was described by Russian aides as “productive,” even as substantial disagreements remained and no binding agreement was reached.
Retired General Jack Keane sounded the alarm on the Fox News airwaves, bluntly warning that Putin’s ambitions have not evaporated and that he will likely “wait out” Mr. Trump before making a renewed push to topple the government in Kyiv. Keane’s assessment is not alarmism but the realist judgment of a seasoned military leader who understands dictators: peace can be tactical, not permanent, when one side is intent on conquest.
Despite Kremlin spin about constructive talks, Russian officials publicly rejected key elements of the U.S. proposal and said compromises on territorial issues remain elusive, underscoring the dangerous gap between platitudes and policy. That gap is exactly why Americans should be wary of handing Putin any respite without ironclad guarantees and enforceable terms.
Kushner and Witkoff reportedly briefed President Trump and informed Ukrainian officials after returning, a prudent step that keeps the chain of command intact and puts American strategy where it belongs—at the top. Diplomacy matters when it’s led by patriots with teeth behind them, not by the same old diplomatic corps that too often talks and weakens.
Keane’s warning should sober every patriot: Putin plays a long game, and he measures strength. If Moscow can secure a pause now and then strike later when American focus fades, the world will be the worse for it; deterrence must be credible, continuous, and backed by American resolve.
Enough of the Washington establishment’s reflexive appeasement and performative concern; Republicans who love this country must demand real leverage — sanctions, military assistance conditioned on verifiable safeguards, and an unapologetic posture that signals consequences. We can applaud efforts toward peace without being naive about the man who invaded his neighbor and calls it destiny.
This moment calls for tough, clear-headed leadership: support President Trump’s pursuit of a negotiated end to bloodshed, but do not trade principle for a photo op. Keep funding and intelligence flowing to Ukraine until any deal is airtight, hold Putin accountable, and remind the world that America will always stand with freedom against tyranny.
