America has poured billions of taxpayer dollars into Ukraine’s defense, yet as President Trump himself recently acknowledged, hopes for a peaceful resolution to the bloody conflict between Ukraine and Russia seem increasingly dim. On Sunday, President Trump openly expressed his skepticism that Ukraine, under President Volodymyr Zelensky, will be able to reach a ceasefire agreement with Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Writing on Truth Social, Trump bluntly remarked, “I’m starting to doubt that Ukraine will make a deal with Putin.”
President Trump is right to voice concern. This conflict has dragged on for far too long, draining American resources, risking escalation with a nuclear-armed Russia, and distracting from urgent priorities here at home. While the Biden administration and establishment elites advocated endless blank checks without accountability for Ukraine, President Trump has consistently pushed for negotiations aimed at ending the violence and protecting American interests.
Make no mistake: the crisis in Ukraine is tragic, and Putin’s aggression deserves unequivocal condemnation. But the American people did not elect Donald Trump to serve as policeman of the world. We elected him to put America First—to secure our borders, rebuild our manufacturing base, reform unfair trade agreements, and end costly foreign entanglements. The Ukraine-Russia conflict must be viewed clearly through this America First lens.
Trump’s concerns come ahead of a critical meeting scheduled this Thursday in Turkey, where Ukrainian and Russian officials will come face-to-face yet again to discuss the possibility of a ceasefire. President Trump urged Ukraine to engage openly and constructively, emphasizing that only by negotiations could they potentially “determine whether or not a deal is possible.” Yet, given Ukraine’s recent intransigence and Putin’s proven stubbornness, skepticism remains justified.
This stalemate is exactly why Trump’s America First philosophy resonates so deeply with the American heartland. Americans are tired of funding endless wars, especially when our own southern border remains dangerously porous and our cities suffer the consequences of failed liberal crime policies. President Trump recognizes that the U.S. must use its global leadership to encourage peaceful solutions—but not at any cost, and certainly not indefinitely.
The harsh reality is that Ukraine and Russia must ultimately craft their own peace. America cannot—and should not—be expected to bankroll Ukraine indefinitely. The longer this conflict drags on, the more American taxpayers foot the bill, and the greater the risk that America is drawn deeper into another European quagmire.
In an April meeting during Pope Francis’s funeral at the Vatican, Trump and Zelensky stood side-by-side, signaling America’s support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and self-determination. But support does not mean endless commitment, and Trump understands clearly that America’s role must be one of cautious mediation rather than unlimited sponsorship.
As Trump pushes Ukraine toward renewed negotiations, he is sending a clear message to both Kyiv and Moscow: America is a partner in peace, but not a bottomless well of funding and weapons. The MAGA movement knows well the dangers of endless foreign entanglements, especially when vital American interests go neglected at home.
It’s time for Ukraine and Russia to step up and make difficult compromises. President Trump has rightly said he’s “starting to doubt” Ukraine’s ability to reach a deal with Putin, and that doubt should be a wake-up call to Zelensky and his European allies: American patience is not infinite, and American taxpayers should not be expected to underwrite a war without end.
As conservatives, we must fully support President Trump’s clear-eyed realism. We must demand accountability from Ukraine, Russia, and our European allies. Above all, we must insist that America’s resources be directed first and foremost to the needs of our own citizens—secure borders, revitalized factories, and safe communities. This is true America First leadership, and it is precisely why Trump was elected president in the first place.
