President Donald Trump’s recent efforts to jumpstart negotiations between Ukraine, Russia, and Western allies drew both optimism and caution this week. At a White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders, Trump pledged additional support for Kyiv while encouraging a path toward trilateral talks that could eventually include Moscow. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte credited Trump with “breaking the deadlock” in conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this year, raising hopes for progress after more than three years of war.
On Chicago’s Morning Answer, Dan Proft spoke with Justin Logan, director of defense and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute, about the substance behind the meetings. Logan noted that Trump has consistently framed the conflict as a “stupid war” that never should have happened, and has positioned himself as a peacemaker. Logan cautioned, however, that the hardest questions remain unresolved. “The devil’s in the details,” he said, pointing to thorny issues like Ukraine’s security guarantees and the fate of Russian-occupied territory.
Logan criticized what he described as “goalpost shifting” from Trump’s critics, who first suggested he would sell out Ukraine, then faulted him for ceremonial optics like red-carpet appearances. While acknowledging the difficulty of securing a lasting agreement, Logan argued that Trump’s diplomacy represents a missing element after years of heavy sanctions and military aid. “We’ve thrown hundreds of billions of dollars into the military effort,” he said. “Let’s put a little bit of shoulder into the diplomacy.”
The discussion also underscored broader disagreements about international relations. Logan contrasted a progressive belief in expert-driven solutions with a more conservative view of geopolitics as inherently tragic and constrained by human nature. He warned against “utopian” thinking that sanctions alone could force Russia into retreat, calling such expectations unrealistic given the high costs Moscow has already borne.
While the path forward remains uncertain, both Proft and Logan agreed that continued dialogue is necessary. As Logan put it, “These are really hard issues… but the man is trying. He’s not doing anything untoward. So let’s cross our fingers and hope and pray that we get something done.”