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 lined by the panel was the standing of Russia’s continued aggression towards Ukraine and continued Western help 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 numerous information exhibits. What I acknowledged in Kyiv was no totally different than what I’ve argued previously – the “West”, led by the U.S., ought to proceed to offer Ukraine with the army, financial, diplomatic, political and morale help wanted to proceed dealing with down Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and his unjustified struggle towards Ukraine. Ukraine is preventing for its existence, and we have to stand with the Ukrainians as they defend their proper to exist. We must always by no means permit Putin, or some other overseas chief, to dictate who has the best to “be”. Fortunately, not one of the different panelists disagreed with this perspective. We have to assist the Ukrainians defend themselves towards overseas aggression and tyranny.
However what was stunning was to listen to one in all my fellow panelists criticize President Donald Trump and his administration for initiating army operations towards 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 sources 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 quickly finish sanctions towards “Shadow Fleet” tankers that have been already at sea carrying Russian oil.
From my optic, among the statements made towards “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 sources 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 financial system was struggling beneath the stress of U.S. and European Union (EU) sanctions and the more and more efficient use of “deep strikes” by the Ukrainians towards Russia’s vitality infrastructure. However the battle within the Gulf has not resulted in a major enhance in income for the Russian State price range and, as one Ukrainian Air Protection officer lately advised me, U.S. and Israeli operations concentrating on Iran’s protection manufacturing capability and armed forces have restricted Tehran’s means to offer Russia with weapon methods and tools that Moscow had been utilizing earlier than February 2026 to maintain air assaults towards 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 struggle towards Ukraine.
However greater than something, I’m all the time stunned after I hear Individuals and Europeans argue that the operation towards Tehran is a mistake, whereas in the identical breath, they demand continued help for Ukraine. For me, as acknowledged above, the U.S. has a duty to assist Ukraine shield its existence from the phobia it faces from Moscow. On the identical time, Washington and Brussels even have a duty to assist Israel defend itself towards 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 best factor to do. So helps Israel defend itself towards the specter of annihilation.
These arguing towards army operations in Iran view the army battle with the Islamic Republic as being separate and remoted from our battle with Russia, however that isn’t the case. The regimes in Moscow and Tehran shaped a strategic alliance towards 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 struggle machine with Unmanned Aerial Autos (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 methods, superior expertise, diplomatic and political help for years. Importantly, the Russians have additionally been offering Tehran with direct intelligence help, 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 towards the IRI are usually not two separate “wars”, however are two fronts in a single widespread struggle. The demise of Putin’s allies in Tehran will probably be a victory for Ukraine. Ukraine’s defeat of Russia will probably be a victory for the U.S. and collective West, together with Israel.
I can not agree with those that assault President Trump for lastly responding to Iranian threats towards the U.S. and its allies with drive. That motion was lengthy overdue and, whereas the President gave the Iranian’s a 12 months 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 point out for much too lengthy. It’s possible that the U.S. President understood that in making the choice to start out “Epic Fury”, he acknowledged that this determination can be attacked by his opponents and unpopular with lots of his supporters, particularly the “isolationist camp” within the Republican Social gathering. Making the choice upfront of mid-term elections can be troublesome for any President and President Trump deserves credit score for taking a principled stand in help of U.S. and allied pursuits.
Sadly, whereas the President is “proper” on Iran, since returning to the Oval Workplace he has been unsuitable on Russia. Just like the Iranians, he gave Putin over a 12 months to barter an finish to the struggle 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 an alternative, he has persistently tried to control the President and his interior circle and lied to the White Home about who began the struggle and who’s standing in the way in which 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 interior circle that Putin was prepared to barter. The Kremlin then executed an efficient covert affect operation by ensuring some points 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 with a view to safe doubtlessly profitable enterprise offers in Russia sooner or later.
President Trump has criticized his predecessors for permitting Putin to “outplay” them. Up to now, he permits Putin to do the identical to him. However it’s not too late for Trump to reverse that pattern and reveal to the world that he is not going to be outsmarted by Putin. The President ought to signal the bipartisan sanctions package deal ready by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham which might ship a robust message to the Kremlin that the U.S. is now not keen to tolerate Putin’s stalling on negotiations and place huge extra stress on Putin to comply with make needed concessions wanted to finish the struggle.
President Trump can ship a powerful message to Kyiv and different U.S. allies that the U.S. Administration is not going to be deceived or manipulated by the Kremlin and it is able to present the identical resolve in direction of Moscow that it’s exhibiting on Iran. It’s going to additionally ship a message to America’s enemies that the U.S. will take a constant stand towards these nations that threaten the U.S. and its allies. This message not solely must be heard in Moscow, however also needs to be heard in Pyongyang, Beijing and some other capital the place a dictator or autocratic regime is contemplating attacking one in all America’s allies.
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