President Donald Trump’s latest approach to peace in Ukraine has drawn criticism from congressional Democrats, with Senator Elissa Slotkin accusing him of abandoning the core principles of American leadership.
Following Trump’s March 4 address to Congress, Slotkin released a statement, arguing that the Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last week exposed Trump’s flawed worldview and reckless foreign policy.
"President Trump likes to say, ‘Peace is achieved through strength.’ That’s a phrase he borrowed from Reagan, but after his performance in the Oval Office last week, Reagan must be turning in his grave," Slotkin said, as cited by Ukrinform.
A Reality Show Approach to War
According to Slotkin, Trump’s strategy lacks the moral authority that Reagan championed during the Cold War.
“Reagan understood that America’s true strength lies in combining military and economic power with moral purity. The scene in the Oval Office was not just a failed reality show episode – it summed up Trump’s entire approach to peace.”
Instead of standing firm against authoritarian regimes, Trump has chosen to “court dictators like Vladimir Putin” while insulting allies like Canada, Slotkin charged.
She further claimed that if Trump had been in power in the 1980s, the U.S. would have lost the Cold War—a direct challenge to Trump’s America-first doctrine, which has repeatedly put NATO and European allies on edge.
Trump’s Deal-Making Diplomacy Under Fire
The criticism comes just days after Trump publicly clashed with Zelensky in the White House, a dispute that ultimately derailed the signing of a rare earth minerals deal between the U.S. and Ukraine.
During his address to Congress, Trump claimed he had received an "important letter" from Zelensky, signaling Ukraine’s willingness to negotiate with Russia and move forward with the mineral agreement. Trump also asserted that Moscow was open to peace, a statement met with skepticism from Ukraine and European leaders.
Slotkin warned that Trump’s real-estate style foreign policy—focused on cutting deals rather than upholding democratic values—threatens U.S. global leadership.
“American leadership must prevail over Chinese or Russian leadership. For generations, America has offered something better—security, prosperity, and democracy. Now, all of that is under threat.”
Trump’s suspension of military aid to Ukraine and insistence that Kyiv must "show more gratitude" has alarmed both Democrats and traditional Republican hawks who argue that weakening support for Ukraine plays directly into Russia’s hands.
Meanwhile, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov welcomed Trump’s policy shift, calling the possible halt of U.S. military aid "the greatest contribution to peace."
