Republicans Are Fooling Themselves on Ukraine War

For Republicans who grasp the threat that Vladimir Putin’s expansionist and risk-prone Russia poses to the U.S.-led geopolitical order, the apprehension over the live prospect that the United States will cut Ukraine aid off is palpable. Those in this cohort who covet their good standing within Donald Trump’s movement have endorsed the notion that Volodymyr Zelensky is the problem. He must repair his relationship with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, they insist, or he must make way for someone who can.

After all, Zelensky’s offenses are myriad — indeed, they’ve mounted over the weekend as Trump’s defenders worked themselves into a lather over the audacity of a man they regard as little more than the vassal representative of a client state.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.

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For Republicans who grasp the threat that Vladimir Putin’s expansionist and risk-prone Russia poses to the U.S.-led geopolitical order, the apprehension over the live prospect that the United States will cut Ukraine aid off is palpable. Those in this cohort who covet their good standing within Donald Trump’s movement have endorsed the notion that Volodymyr Zelensky is the problem. He must repair his relationship with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, they insist, or he must make way for someone who can.

After all, Zelensky’s offenses are myriad — indeed, they’ve mounted over the weekend as Trump’s defenders worked themselves into a lather over the audacity of a man they regard as little more than the vassal representative of a client state.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.