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The new US-Ukraine deal, briefly explained
The US agreed to resume aid after Ukraine endorsed a proposed ceasefire in the war with Russia.
Patrick Reis was the senior politics and ideas editor at Vox. He previously worked at Rolling Stone, the Washington Post, Politico, National Journal, and Seattle’s Real Change News. As a reporter and editor, he has worked on coverage of campaign politics, economic policy, the federal death penalty, climate change, financial regulation, and homelessness.
Welcome to The Logoff. Today I’m focusing on negotiations between the US and Ukraine, where new developments have immediate ramifications for the war in Europe — and for our understanding of President Donald Trump’s broader foreign policy.
What’s the latest? The US will resume military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, lifting freezes the administration put in place earlier this month. Ukraine also endorsed a US proposal for a ceasefire, though Russia, critically, has not.
What’s next? After a meeting between the US and Ukraine, Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed Russia to agree to the ceasefire, and Trump said he would talk this week with Russian President Vladimir Putin ahead of upcoming peace talks.
What’s the big picture for the Ukraine-Russia war?
- Today’s agreement signals a rapprochement between the US and Ukraine after their relationship imploded following a contentious White House meeting in February. But Russia still hasn’t agreed to the ceasefire — and a “ceasefire” only one party has endorsed is more aptly described as “a war.”
- The big question for Ukraine remains a security guarantee. A real end to the war is a good development: It would save many thousands of lives and reduce mass civilian suffering. But without a plan in place to guarantee Ukraine’s post-war safety, it’s unclear that this would be an end to the war so much as a pause.
What did we learn about Trump? This was another example of Trump’s transactional approach to foreign relationships: first cutting off Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for being insufficiently committed to Trump’s peace process, then restoring ties after he acquiesced. This may yield short-term compliance, but it comes at the expense of the nation’s reputation as a trustworthy ally — and encourages the US’s partners to look elsewhere for strategic cooperation.
And with that, it’s time to log off…
If you’re in Washington, DC — or anywhere else that’s getting a blast of spring weather — there’s nothing I can recommend online that’s going to be as great as watching the sunset in the new warmth. So please do yourself a favor and enjoy that if you can. If it’s not as nice where you are, or if outside isn’t available, I really enjoyed this short video about a bird sanctuary in India. Have a great night either way, and I’ll see you back here tomorrow.
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