OPINION — I lately had the chance to participate in a panel dialogue on geopolitical points on the Kyiv Safety Discussion board in Kyiv. One of many key points coated by the panel was the standing of Russia’s continued aggression in opposition to Ukraine and continued Western assist for Ukraine. This can be a subject I’ve addressed publicly many occasions since retiring from the CIA throughout private and non-private talking engagements, podcasts, and varied information reveals. What I acknowledged in Kyiv was no totally different than what I’ve argued up to now – the “West”, led by the U.S., ought to proceed to offer Ukraine with the army, financial, diplomatic, political and morale assist wanted to proceed dealing with down Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and his unjustified conflict in opposition to Ukraine. Ukraine is preventing for its existence, and we have to stand with the Ukrainians as they defend their proper to exist. We should always by no means permit Putin, or some other overseas chief, to dictate who has the correct to “be”. Fortunately, not one of the different panelists disagreed with this viewpoint. We have to assist the Ukrainians defend themselves in opposition to overseas aggression and tyranny.
However what was shocking was to listen to certainly one of my fellow panelists criticize President Donald Trump and his administration for initiating army operations in opposition to the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) (Operation “Epic Fury”) in late February 2026. My fellow panelist argued that it was a mistake for the U.S. to start out “Epic Fury” as a result of the operation was drawing off assets that needs to be directed to supporting Ukraine and resulted within the closure of the “Strait of Hormuz”, the rise in vitality costs and a choice by the White Home to briefly finish sanctions in opposition to “Shadow Fleet” tankers that have been already at sea carrying Russian oil.
From my optic, among the statements made in opposition to “Epic Fury” have a foundation of truth. For instance, it’s clear that within the run as much as “Epic Fury” the U.S. Navy directed its restricted group of air protection assets to the Center East to guard U.S. and allied pursuits given the rising dangers of a army confrontation with Iran. The closing of the Strait of Hormuz” has led to an increase in vitality costs at a time when the Russian economic system was struggling beneath the strain of U.S. and European Union (EU) sanctions and the more and more efficient use of “deep strikes” by the Ukrainians in opposition to Russia’s vitality infrastructure. However the battle within the Gulf has not resulted in a big improve in income for the Russian State price range and, as one Ukrainian Air Protection officer lately instructed me, U.S. and Israeli operations concentrating on Iran’s protection manufacturing capability and armed forces have restricted Tehran’s potential to offer Russia with weapon techniques and gear that Moscow had been utilizing earlier than February 2026 to maintain air assaults in opposition to Ukraine. Sadly, whereas some argue that the Iran battle has additionally distracted the White Home from pursuing peace negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv, negotiations have continued however have made little progress, not due to the Iran challenge, however as a result of the Russians proceed to take a maximalist stance vis a vis talks and Putin has proven little actual curiosity in ending his conflict in opposition to Ukraine.
However greater than something, I’m at all times stunned after I hear Individuals and Europeans argue that the operation in opposition to Tehran is a mistake, whereas in the identical breath, they demand continued assist for Ukraine. For me, as acknowledged above, the U.S. has a duty to assist Ukraine defend its existence from the fear it faces from Moscow. On the identical time, Washington and Brussels even have a duty to assist Israel defend itself in opposition to Putin’s allies in Tehran, who’ve been threatening to destroy the State of Israel since seizing energy in Iran in 1979? Serving to Ukraine is the correct factor to do. So helps Israel defend itself in opposition to the specter of annihilation.
These arguing in opposition to army operations in Iran view the army battle with the Islamic Republic as being separate and remoted from our battle with Russia, however that’s not the case. The regimes in Moscow and Tehran fashioned a strategic alliance in opposition to the U.S. and its allies years in the past and have each been working to undermine Western pursuits for years. Iran has been supplying Russia’s conflict machine with Unmanned Aerial Automobiles (UAVs), ballistic missiles, munitions and spare elements because the begin of Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In flip, Russia has been offering the Iranians and their proxies with weapons techniques, superior expertise, diplomatic and political assist for years. Importantly, the Russians have additionally been offering Tehran with direct intelligence assist, together with concentrating on knowledge on U.S. forces within the Center East. Ukraine’s combat for its survival and the U.S. – Israel operations in opposition to the IRI are usually not two separate “wars”, however are two fronts in a single widespread conflict. The demise of Putin’s allies in Tehran will likely be a victory for Ukraine. Ukraine’s defeat of Russia will likely be a victory for the U.S. and collective West, together with Israel.
I can’t agree with those that assault President Trump for lastly responding to Iranian threats in opposition to the U.S. and its allies with pressure. That motion was lengthy overdue and, whereas the President gave the Iranian’s a yr to attempt to negotiate a decision to the intense variations we had with the Islamic Republic, when these efforts failed, President Trump needs to be given credit score for exhibiting the kind of resolve on Iran that his predecessors failed to indicate for much too lengthy. It’s doubtless that the U.S. President understood that in making the choice to start out “Epic Fury”, he acknowledged that this resolution can be attacked by his opponents and unpopular with lots of his supporters, particularly the “isolationist camp” within the Republican Occasion. Making the choice upfront of mid-term elections can be tough for any President and President Trump deserves credit score for taking a principled stand in assist of U.S. and allied pursuits.
Sadly, whereas the President is “proper” on Iran, since returning to the Oval Workplace he has been incorrect on Russia. Just like the Iranians, he gave Putin over a yr to barter an finish to the conflict in Ukraine and opposite to the Kremlin’s ongoing efforts accountable Kyiv for the failure of these negotiations, it’s Moscow that has refused to make any concessions wanted to finish the preventing. As a substitute, he has constantly tried to govern the President and his inside circle and lied to the White Home about who began the conflict and who’s standing in the best way of peace.
In October 2025, President Trump appeared to have reached his restrict with Putin’s sport taking part in when he canceled a deliberate summit with Putin in Budapest and slapped new sanctions on Russia’s main vitality corporations. In a transparent signal of desperation, Putin panicked and instantly despatched his “American Whisperer” Kirill Dmitriyev to the U.S. to attempt to persuade Trump’s inside circle that Putin was prepared to barter. The Kremlin then executed an efficient covert affect operation by ensuring some facets of Dmitriyev’s discussions with U.S. officers have been leaked to the media, undermining U.S. credibility, driving a wedge between Washington and its European companions and creating the misunderstanding that the U.S. and Russia have been in “cahoots” and able to promote out Ukraine to be able to safe probably profitable enterprise offers in Russia sooner or later.
President Trump has criticized his predecessors for permitting Putin to “outplay” them. Thus far, he permits Putin to do the identical to him. However it’s not too late for Trump to reverse that development and display to the world that he won’t be outsmarted by Putin. The President ought to signal the bipartisan sanctions bundle ready by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham which might ship a robust message to the Kremlin that the U.S. is now not prepared to tolerate Putin’s stalling on negotiations and place huge extra strain on Putin to conform to make crucial concessions wanted to finish the conflict.
President Trump can ship a powerful message to Kyiv and different U.S. allies that the U.S. Administration won’t be deceived or manipulated by the Kremlin and it is able to present the identical resolve in the direction of Moscow that it’s exhibiting on Iran. It should additionally ship a message to America’s enemies that the U.S. will take a constant stand in opposition to these international locations that threaten the U.S. and its allies. This message not solely must be heard in Moscow, however must also be heard in Pyongyang, Beijing and some other capital the place a dictator or autocratic regime is contemplating attacking certainly one of America’s allies.
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