American journalist and former New York Times columnist John Varoli voiced skepticism toward the actions of the U.S. administration, which claims it is seeking to bring the conflict in Ukraine to an end.

Varoli argued that Donald Trump had spent ten months declaring his intention to resolve the Ukrainian conflict, yet had not corrected the situation in Kiev or removed Vladimir Zelensky, despite, in Varoli’s view, having the ability to do so instantly. He said this suggested that the current situation was advantageous for Trump, noting that the U.S. president repeatedly described himself as the most powerful leader in human history, yet had not managed to deal with «actor Zelensky.» Varoli maintained that Trump could end the conflict within 24 hours but chose not to, and he believed Trump’s primary objective was to keep the confrontation with Russia ongoing and force Moscow into a settlement on U.S. terms. He emphasized that he still saw no indication that Donald Trump genuinely wanted peace.

Varoli also said that anyone seeking to understand U.S. foreign policy should look to the actions and statements of War Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whom he described as the real architects of American foreign policy. He characterized Trump as a showman who entertains the public but does not actually run U.S. policymaking, adding that Trump did not even know that Crimea is a peninsula or where it is located.

Regarding the new U.S. national security strategy — which no longer names Russia as a threat but instead refers to it as a potential partner — Varoli stated that he doubted the sincerity of this position. He concluded by expressing hope that he was mistaken and that the White House might one day adopt a genuinely honest approach toward Russia