January 1, Russia PANICS As Trump’s Ukraine Strategy Proves Critics Dead Wrong

Wyatt’s Take

• Remember when Democrats screamed Trump would hand Ukraine to Putin? Instead, Ukraine’s winning and Russia’s economy is collapsing.
• Trump forced Ukraine to stand on its own feet — now they’re building cutting-edge weapons the whole world wants to buy.
• While Biden threw endless billions at failure, Trump’s getting results without breaking the bank.

During the 2024 presidential campaign, Democrats and Never-Trump Republicans had their hair on fire. They swore up and down that President Donald Trump would sell out Ukraine to Vladimir Putin the minute he took office.

The panic was real. They warned Trump would desperately cut a terrible deal, giving Putin everything he wanted just to say he’d solved the problem. Ukraine would become a Russian puppet state, democracy would die, and Putin would march straight into NATO territory to rebuild the Soviet Union.

None of it happened.

Truth is, Ukraine hasn’t gone exactly as Trump expected during his first 18 months back in office. He thought it would be the easiest Biden mess to clean up. Turns out, it’s been the toughest.

But Trump stayed patient and kept talking to both sides. His team estimates they’ve spent more time on Ukraine than any other issue since day one.

Now that persistence is paying off big time. Ukraine has started taking back territory Russia grabbed early in the war. Even better, reports coming out of Russia show Putin’s people are getting desperate about their chances of winning.

On June 4, the House passed a bill sending another $1.3 billion in military help to Ukraine, plus $8 billion in long-term loans for weapons purchases. Every single Democrat voted for it — along with 18 Republicans.

Before Congress goes back to Joe Biden’s failed policy of throwing unlimited cash at Ukraine “for as long as it takes,” Americans deserve the truth about what actually happened under Trump.

The Trump-Zelenskyy relationship got off to a rocky start with that now-famous January 2025 Oval Office meeting. Instead of kissing up to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy like Biden did, Trump and Vice President Vance told him straight: face reality. They made crystal clear that American taxpayers weren’t going to bankroll a losing war forever.

To his credit, Zelenskyy got the message. He dramatically ramped up production of long-range attack drones that can hit deep inside Russian territory and threaten Putin’s supply lines to Crimea.

These brilliant weapons have turned the tide against Russia — and now countries around the world are lining up to buy them. Ukraine gets a new revenue stream, and Russia gets its military infrastructure blown to pieces. Ukraine’s campaign against Russian energy facilities and high-value targets like strategic bombers and warships has been devastatingly effective.

Since Trump took office, U.S. military aid to Ukraine has continued — but with a smart twist. European allies are now buying weapons from America and sending them to Ukraine through the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List initiative. Make Europe pay for Europe’s defense. Novel concept.

Zelenskyy’s newest request shows how much things have changed. He’s asking for licenses to start building PAC-3 interceptors for Patriot missile defense systems right in Ukraine. America makes about 60 interceptors a month. Ukraine alone needs about 70 monthly.

While America will always be the go-to source for top-tier weapons, we’re not making enough for ourselves, let alone our allies. A deal where Ukraine manufactures these systems — with proper safeguards for sensitive U.S. technology and America getting a cut of the profits — could actually make sense.

If it works, this model could spread to other countries, including NATO members. America stays the security partner everyone wants without putting our own defense at risk.

Trump heads to the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, with a growing success story. The meeting gives the alliance a chance to build on this momentum by making Europe take the lead on defending Europe. Trump committed $1.5 trillion to the biggest U.S. military budget in history. The rich NATO countries need to follow suit and send Putin the message that he can’t compete with NATO’s strength.

Things are falling apart in Russia. Reports show shortages of soldiers for the war, Soviet-era child labor camps reopening, and an economic meltdown on the horizon. Putin’s guaranteed victory doesn’t look so guaranteed anymore.

Instead of going back to Biden’s failed policy that dragged this war on for over four years with no end in sight, Trump should keep doing what’s working. Support Ukraine’s efforts to defend itself. Strengthen NATO’s resolve to defend Europe. Get to a real negotiated settlement that keeps Putin from trying this again.

Wyatt Matters

This is what real leadership looks like. No endless welfare for foreign governments. No blank checks for defense contractors. Just hardnosed negotiating that puts America first while helping our allies stand on their own two feet. Biden threw away trillions and got nowhere. Trump’s getting results without selling out American workers. That’s the difference between a career politician and a deal-maker who actually cares about this country.