The current geopolitical landscape is dominated by the complex dynamics between the United States, Russia, and China. This is the central strategic challenge for the U.S., which is marked by an ideological struggle between autocracy and democracy, a shift in global power balances, and an erosion of the post-Cold War international order.
President Trump's diplomatic approach toward Russian President Vladimir Putin is characterized by personal engagement and appeasement, which has yielded significant propaganda victories for Russia without securing concrete U.S. objectives.
High-profile meetings have consistently failed to meet stated expectations on key issues such as a ceasefire in Ukraine, resulting in a perceived weakening of American resolve and leverage.
Russian President Vladimir Putin remains an ideologically-driven and intransigent adversary who should not be underestimated as he prosecutes an imperial, not merely transactional, war in Ukraine.
Putin perceives President Trump as someone susceptible to manipulation. Putin’s strategic aims appear to include full control over Ukraine's annexed eastern regions and beyond. And he has demonstrated a willingness to prolong the conflict indefinitely to achieve his goal while paying little to no price for his refusal to de-escalate.
A durable peace in Ukraine is contingent upon long-term, credible security guarantees. For Ukrainian leadership and its people, the concept of "land for peace" is meaningless without a robust security architecture. The dismissal of this possibility in current negotiations represents a significant diplomatic concession that cedes leverage without reciprocal action from Moscow.
The global order is increasingly defined by a direct ideological contest between autocracies, led by a deepening China-Russia alliance, against the democratic world.
This struggle is intensified by a waning U.S. commitment to its traditional role as the leader of the liberal international order, a trend accelerated by an "America First" foreign policy that prioritizes unilateral transactions over multilateral alliances and democratic values. This internal shift presents a strategic vulnerability that both Moscow and Beijing are actively exploiting.
The recent Alaska summit can be seen as a case study in failed expectations, a lost opportunity, an abandonment of American values and a weakening of the U.S. position as a broker of peace – a stain that could last generations.
The summit was framed by specific expectations from the Trump administration, which were systematically dismantled by the reality of the engagement. The discrepancy between the anticipated outcomes and the actual events highlights a fundamental disappointment in the negotiations.
Following the meeting, the Trump administration dropped its ceasefire demands altogether, pivoting to a call for a broader, undefined "peace deal."
The treatment of President Putin, an indicted war criminal, during his U.S. visit has been described as highly unusual and accommodating. Former Ambassador Michael McFaul notes, "We, the President of the United States... invited to our country a dictator. That sometimes happens, but this one's an indicted war criminal. ... He didn't have to do that."
Trinity University's Maverick Lecture will feature Michael McFaul at the event titled, “Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder." It will be held on October 2.
More information can be found at the Trinity University website.
Guest:
Michael McFaul is the former U.S. ambassador to Russia. He is a Professor of Political Science and Director of Freeman Spogli Institute & Hoover Senior Fellow all at Stanford University.
"The Source" is a live call-in program airing Mondays through Thursdays from 12-1 p.m. Leave a message before the program at (210) 615-8982. During the live show, call 833-877-8255, email thesource@tpr.org.
This interview will be recorded live Thursday, September 18, 2025.
