Republican strategist Karl Rove has emphasized the importance of the Russia-Ukraine peace talks, stating that failure to reach a resolution could be the downfall of President Trump’s presidency. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Rove outlined three possible outcomes from Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine: a successful peace deal, a failure to reach a deal, resulting in continued conflict, and a Russian victory over Ukraine. He compared the third possibility to the Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021, when former President Biden’s poll numbers tanked and never recovered.
Rove noted that Trump promised to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office and has “put himself at center stage” with his approach to dealmaking and engagements with foreign leaders. He urged Trump to become as tough on Putin as he has been on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, saying that approach could get the warring countries to arrive at a deal that results in a durable peace.
Rove urged Trump to reject the Russian dictator’s flattery and demands and insist on making a fair, enforceable deal with Zelensky, as anything less would be a stain on Trump and his party, for which they would rightly pay a high political price.
