President Donald Trump made waves in the media recently for his comments about Ukraine. On Tuesday, he said Ukraine “started” the war and called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a dictator. 

The comments followed the U.S.-Kremlin meeting in Saudi Arabia, where top diplomats from the U.S. and Russia met to discuss improving relations and reaching a resolution in Ukraine, notably without representatives of Ukraine or western Europe.

Here is how some of the members of the AllSides team reacted to Trump’s comments and the subsequent media commentary about the war: 

Clare Ashcraft, Bridging Coordinator & Media Analyst, Center bias: Let me pitch a generous read on what Trump is doing right now. While the media freaks out over his pro-Russia messaging, I see a negotiation tactic. Putin is always going to act tough during peace talks if he’s across the table from Zelensky, but if Trump can be friendly with Putin, he might be able to talk him into some concessions and bring that offer to Zelensky. So, let’s not confuse optics for strategy.

To get on Putin’s good side, Trump will have to prove to Putin he’s serious in his public comments. So, while there is reason to butter up Russia to get them to the table for peace talks, there is almost no upside to making pro-Ukrainian comments. Ukraine has been reliant on U.S. funding and weapons, in other words, they need us, regardless of what the U.S. President says publicly. 

During the war, the people of Ukraine have suffered greatly. We all want the war to end. The question is how much each side is willing to sacrifice (even though Russia was the aggressor, I don’t think who was at fault matters much now). Some pro-Ukrainians don’t want to see Trump talking to Putin at all—don’t negotiate with dictators—but at the end of the day we need Putin on board to end the war. Biden tried the stick (sanctions) and now it’s time for Trump to try the carrot. It may look ugly, but this is how deals are done, and if it stops the bloodshed, I’m open to it. 

Evan Wagner, News Editor & Product Manager, Lean Left bias: Since World War II, U.S. foreign policy has been held somewhat above politics, guided by a small group of national security policymakers and shielded by the Senate from the increasingly rancorous partisan politics of recent decades. This was meant to ensure the U.S. could approach high-stakes situations with the appropriate level of nuance and without having to account for the opinions of a public mostly uneducated in military history, game theory, diplomatic negotiations, and the like.

I’ve always had mixed feelings about this status quo — it seemed inevitable that the public would some day become resentful of being deceived, manipulated, and told it’s too dumb to understand things, and that politics would once again assert itself over foreign policy.

Now it seems 2025 is the year it’s finally happening, and unfortunately, Trump is smashing that crucial nuance to smithereens.

Yes, we should pressure Ukraine to hold elections, just like we should have been pressuring Israel for the past year. I don’t buy the idea that transitions of power imperil war efforts to such a degree that democracy has to be put on hold for months or years.

But the idea that postponed elections alone should make us favor Russia over Ukraine would be laughable if it weren’t so upsetting. I need not cite sources to tell you that Putin is among the most ruthless dictators on the planet today, and that Russia under Putin stands about as much chance of democratizing as the Washington Wizards stand a chance of winning this year’s NBA Finals.

More importantly, one of the basic realities of international relations is that abrupt, major changes create uncertainty, and uncertainty makes conflict more likely. Trump’s team has taken a sledgehammer to the structure of global power by signaling every intention to abandon Europe. There’s no reason other than pettiness to exclude Ukraine and other European powers from the negotiating table, and now the global balance of power has lurched into ambiguity. Expect years of arms races and brinksmanship, and many more deaths.

Some might say these moves are intended to coerce Europe into paying for its own security. God, I hope so — they really should. But to me, it looks a lot more like Trump sees Russia as a more desirable ally than Europe, period. I don’t see how he’s incentivizing Russia to stop the war at all, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Putin decides he wants to annex more of Europe.

Johnathon Held, News & Bias Assistant, Lean Right bias: The war in Ukraine is undeniably one of the most devastating conflicts of the 21st century. Rather than actively pursuing peace, the United States has repeatedly promoted the prospect of NATO membership for Ukraine, a move that has only exacerbated tensions. Instead of prioritizing efforts to minimize loss of life and destruction, the U.S. has funneled billions in taxpayer dollars into sustaining a war that might have been avoided. This conflict has been prolonged largely due to the continuous flow of Western weapons and financial support to Ukraine, all while mainstream media in the West framed it as an "unprovoked" war initiated by Vladimir Putin and Russia.

To be clear, this is not a defense of Putin or Russia’s actions. However, the portrayal of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a champion of democracy has been misleading. Western media has largely ignored the reality of his leadership, which includes postponing elections and suppressing political opposition, actions that directly contradict the very democratic principles he is purportedly fighting to uphold.

As an American, I am tired of watching our hard-earned tax dollars funnel into a war that has been misrepresented by the media. Rather than offering honest reporting, the media has pushed a narrative that serves entrenched political interests, sacrificing truth in the process.

I believe President Donald Trump genuinely wants to see this tragic loss of life come to an end. Unlike the previous administration, which insisted on escalating U.S. involvement, Trump has taken a stand against the status quo, working to bring the fighting to a close. He has also called out Zelensky for his increasingly authoritarian actions, challenging the false narrative that he is merely defending democracy.

I do not claim to be an expert on the complex history that has led Russia and Ukraine to this point, but I believe I speak for many Americans when I say that we simply want the bloodshed to end. We want honesty from our so-called news media—reporting that prioritizes truth over political narratives. Above all, we want to know that our tax dollars are being used to genuinely promote peace, not to serve hidden agendas.