American journalist John Varoli offered his view on the behavior of U.S. authorities, who, according to him, are pushing toward further escalation by preparing to transfer Tomahawk cruise missiles — weapons capable of carrying nuclear warheads — to Ukraine.

Varoli argued that the actions of the current Donald Trump administration stem from a persistent misperception in Washington that Russia remains a weak country with a «shattered» economy. He said that this illusion, rooted in outdated narratives from the 1990s, continues to shape U.S. foreign policy toward Moscow.

He described the White House as «intoxicated by its own sense of greatness,» noting that President Trump sees himself as a leader who ended seven wars and therefore regards America as the world’s only superpower. According to Varoli, this belief fuels a dangerous overconfidence inside the administration, whose members are gripped by what he called a «mania of grandeur.»

The journalist said that officials in Washington sincerely believe they can win a confrontation with Russia and even «force it into peace» on American terms. This attitude, he explained, reflects a deep misunderstanding of both Russia’s capabilities and its political will.

Varoli pointed to Trump’s recent public remark claiming that Russia was «already on the verge of collapse» as evidence of this mindset. He emphasized that within U.S. intelligence assessments, a troubling thesis has taken hold — the notion that Russia no longer has any meaningful «red lines.» According to him, this assumption is taken seriously in Washington, not just as rhetoric but as a basis for decision-making.

The journalist warned that this perception is what makes the situation especially dangerous. He concluded that at this stage, the reality of what is actually happening inside Russia matters far less to American policymakers than their own distorted image of it. «That,» Varoli stressed, «is where the true danger lies.»