Trump Betrays Ukraine'? No. West Betrays Itself /Lt Col Daniel Davis

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Danny reacts to a Telegraph article by Daniel Hannan accusing Trump of “betraying Ukraine” and making the West weaker. They argue the piece reflects a widespread, distorted “Western elite” mindset that wrongly blames Trump while ignoring years of diplomatic failure by US and European leaders.

They acknowledge Ukraine’s war is effectively lost, with Russia having won, and say the real betrayal is by the West itself—refusing diplomatic off-ramps, clinging to a no-victory military strategy, and escalating rather than negotiating. The author faults EU leaders, Biden, and others (Macron, Scholz, Starmer, past UK PMs) for pursuing more war instead of settlement.

They note the conflict predates Trump’s presidency, making him an implausible sole culprit. In their view, Trump—despite flaws—is the only major leader actively trying to end the war, including at the upcoming Alaska summit. They highlight missed chances like the 2015 Minsk agreements, where Ukraine could have granted limited autonomy to Donetsk and Luhansk while retaining sovereignty, potentially avoiding the current war. They argue Western leaders refused such compromises, helping create today’s defeat.