Will Trump’s Ukraine Pivot Change Anything?

Michael McFaul on the war's possible end state

VIEW IN BROWSER  ON DEMAND NOW Michael McFaul on the war's possible end state It is rare that a national leader's views on a major international conflict have evolved so much, so publicly, and in such a short space of time. In little more than six months, U.S. President Donald Trump has gone from saying he could resolve the war in Ukraine in a day to being openly "disappointed" in Russian President Vladimir Putin for saying one thing and doing another. Trump has also gone from echoing Putin's talking points about the war to threatening tougher sanctions not only on Russia but also on countries that conduct trade with it. How will Trump's change of heart—assuming it lasts—impact the course of the war? "I don't see a lot of great options for the United States right now," said Michael McFaul, a Stanford University professor who served as U.S. ambassador to Russia between 2012 and 2014, speaking on FP Live. "Making threats and not carrying them through is one of the biggest mistakes you can make in diplomacy. … I worry that Trump is pointing his gun but is not ready to shoot. That undermines American credibility, not just in this case, but around the world." CATCH UP ON THE FULL CONVERSATION Watch the full interview.  See highlights from this FP Live. Read a condensed and edited transcript. REGISTER FOR UPCOMING FP LIVE CONVERSATIONS FP Live: The Ask-Me-Anything Edition July 31, 2025  |  11:00 AM EDT FP Live will take stock of the global implications of the second Trump presidency. Executive producer, Dana Sherne, will turn the tables on regular host Ravi Agrawal, who will also offer his impressions after his trip to China and India. Register here. The Future of European Defense August 4, 2025  |  11:00 AM EDT European members of NATO recently agreed to invest 5 percent of their GDPs on defense-related spending. Jared Cohen will join FP Live to discuss how Europe can rearm—and the trade-offs that might entail. Register here. WATCH OTHER RECENT CONVERSATIONS A Redrawn Middle East? After Israel launched strikes on Iranian military and nuclear targets, Tehran threatened retaliation. How might this affect nuclear talks? How do the attacks reshape power dynamics in the Middle East? Vali Nasr joined FP Live to discuss. The Future of War From drones in Kashmir and Sudan to artificial intelligence in Ukraine and Israel, the nature of conventional warfare is changing. How prepared is the United States? And is China catching up? Mara Karlin, former assistant secretary of defense during the Biden administration, joined FP Live to discuss. An FP subscription is your compass through today's geopolitics. Our experts connect the dots on the issues that matter right now, from war and diplomacy to tech and climate. SUBSCRIBE TODAY This email was sent to ooseims.archieves@blogger.com because you are opted-in to receive notifications about FP Live programming. Don't want to receive further communications about this event? Manage your FP Live email preferences. MANAGE YOUR EMAIL PREFERENCES  |  VIEW OUR PRIVACY POLICY  |  UNSUBSCRIBE  Interested in partnering with FP on events, podcasts, or research? Explore FP Solutions. Foreign Policy is a division of Graham Holdings Company. All contents © 2024 Graham Digital Holding Company LLC. All rights reserved. Foreign Policy, 655 15th St NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC, 20005.