'This reality is mind-boggling': Journalist astonished by Trump's latest pro-Putin gambit

Journalist Anne Applebaum, who writes about American foreign policy for The Atlantic, brings word that American allies around the world are astonished that former President Donald Trump is using his influence within the Republican Party to block security assistance to Ukraine.

In her latest column, Applebaum writes that there is a sense of disbelief that a presidential candidate would not only work to undermine his own country's global stature but also to drag the leadership of his political party along for the ride.

"For outsiders, this reality is mind-boggling, difficult to comprehend and impossible to understand," she reports. "In the week that the border compromise failed, I happened to meet a senior European Union official visiting Washington. He asked me if congressional Republicans realized that a Russian victory in Ukraine would discredit the United States, weaken American alliances in Europe and Asia, embolden China, encourage Iran, and increase the likelihood of invasions of South Korea or Taiwan. Don’t they realize? Yes, I told him, they realize."

She then cited past comments by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) showing that he knew the stakes involved in Ukraine, as he argued that letting Kyiv fall could embolden Russia to attack even NATO countries.

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Applebaum then speculates on the reasons why Trump seems so intent on blocking help for Ukraine, and she speculates that he isn't merely an isolationist, but someone who actively wants to see Russia achieve its goals.

"Trump has said repeatedly that he wants a 'deal' with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and maybe this is what he means: If Ukraine is partitioned, or if Ukraine loses the war, then Trump could twist that situation to his own advantage," she writes.

"Perhaps, some speculate, Trump wants to let Russia back into international oil markets and get something in return for that. But that explanation might be too complex: Maybe he just wants to damage President Joe Biden, or he thinks Putin will help him win the 2024 election."

Read the whole column here.