Staff Reports
President Donald Trump told reporters bluntly that “we are helping them, and we are sharing intel.” That short sentence matters. It came as the White House pushes a controversial diesel deal with Russia and tries to restart talks to end the war in Ukraine. The president’s comment was meant to calm fears in Kyiv and on Capitol Hill that the U.S. is stepping away from supporting Ukraine’s defense.
Trump’s Unvarnished Line: “We Are Sharing Intel”
Why that matters for U.S. policy and Ukraine’s survival
When a president says the United States “continues to share intelligence with Ukraine,” people should pay attention. Intelligence keeps soldiers alive. It warns of incoming strikes. It helps Ukrainian forces strike back with precision. In a time of fragile diplomacy, that kind of reassurance is not a luxury. It is basic national security. The administration says it wants the war to end and is “working with them and with Russia on getting the war to end.” Fine. But talk of peace can’t be a cover for cutting off the one thing that actually protects Ukraine right now.
Diesel Deal Drama
Why Kyiv’s outrage and continued Russian strikes matter
The diesel agreement with Russia has thrown gasoline on a political fire. President Volodymyr Zelensky called the plan “a weak decision” and warned it could be a “gift to Putin.” Meanwhile, reports show Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure continued after the administration floated an “energy ceasefire.” That disconnect is the real problem — not that the president wants talks, but that diplomacy must be backed by clear, hard guarantees. If the U.S. is trying to use energy flows as leverage, it must not let Moscow exploit that leverage while Ukraine pays the price on the battlefield.
Practical Diplomacy, Not Political Theater
Keep intelligence flowing and clear the legal questions
Smart foreign policy is both muscle and mind. Sending envoys — White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Presidential Adviser Jared Kushner among them — to meet Ukrainian negotiators in Miami is diplomacy in action. But Congress and the public deserve to know what “sharing intel” means. Is it warning-only intelligence, detailed targeting, electronic intercepts? There are legitimate legal questions around the diesel plan too. Lawmakers from both parties have demanded answers. A deal to end the war is worth chasing. So is accountability. We can do both without sounding like we’re choosing one over the other because it looks easier on cable television.
President Trump was right to say the U.S. wants the war to end. But ending a war without abandoning a partner requires clarity, courage, and oversight. Keep the intelligence flowing, make the legal basis for the diesel plan public, and pressure Russia to stop hitting civilian power grids before anyone calls a ceasefire a “win.” If the administration wants peace, it should stop handing talking points to Vladimir Putin and start offering Ukraine the tools and facts it needs to survive until real negotiations deliver real results. That’s diplomacy that actually earns the name — and yes, it begins with telling the truth about what we’re doing for our allies.
