Lest you doubt President Donald Trump is inclined to abandon Taiwan to the designs of China, consider that he welcomes the communist behemoth to talks on the future of Ukraine.
This past Monday, Trump stated that he is open to a denuclearization summit between the United States, Russian, and China with talks reserved to negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict (absent participation of Ukraine). The talks were proposed by President Vladimir Putin of Russia and are to include both Trump and President Xi Jingping of China.
Always quick to bash President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine, Trump stated “It’s time for somebody else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine.” Trump then proclaimed “We’ve given a lot to Ukraine, they’ve given nothing to us.” What Ukraine has given us and the world is an example of courage not seen since Great Britain endured the Nazi blitz during World War II. And what the U.S. under Trump has given Ukraine is neutrality at best.
Trump is fond of saying that had Zelenskyy only listened to him, the war would have been over by now. Over for whom? Russia aims to subjugate Ukraine. What Trump suggests is that Ukraine render its nationhood to a vassal state of Russia. The truth is that Ukraine has mounted an heroic stand against Russia and were Trump supportive of its democratic effort the conflict would have been resolved by now in Ukraine’s favor.
It’s no secret that Trump prefers the company of authoritarian leaders over that of our allies. He is on record for calling Xi his friend. He boasts his warm relationship with Putin. And he revels in how he gets along with Kim Jong Un of North Korea. Trump has actually expressed envy of those leaders who are unburdened by democratic checks on their power.
Of course, it’s not mere neutrality which Trump has displayed in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He has undermined legislation he himself signed into law by cancelling sanctions placed on Russia. Trump is clearly partial to Putin and Russia. But even were he neutral, it’s a reckless neutrality in defiance of the democratic commitments the United States has shouldered since the end of World War II.
In his 1983 book “The New Diplomacy,” the late Israeli scholar and diplomat Abba Eban emphasized that the expansionist policies of the now defunct Soviet Union were not so much communist traits as Russian traits. Though Eban intended this point as a matter of assurance, it should have been taken as a caveat. For now the Soviets are gone yet the Russians are still very much there.
As for communist China, it’s belligerent on the world stage. Since regaining Hong Kong in 1997 (courtesy of the treaty negotiated by British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher the previous decade), China has reneged on its pledge to maintain one nation with two separate systems. Hong Kong hasn’t a vestige of freedom, economic or otherwise, it had maintained before China’s takeover.
Getting back to Ukraine, it would be nothing less than criminal to subject the country to the whims of both Russia and China. Trump’s affection for authoritarian strong men is an affront to decades of U.S. efforts to extend democracy. As for Putin’s proposal to include China in talks over the future of Ukraine, it merits not even a response. The time is past due for Trump to distinguish between allies and adversaries.
John O’Neill of Allen Park writes a twice weekly political column.
