In the closing press conference of his recent state visit to the United Kingdom, President Donald Trump acknowledged that Russian President Vladimir Putin had let him down. From a president who is rarely subdued, this was an uncharacteristically understated remark. It was also an acknowledgment that U.S. strategy had failed to yield the president’s objectives of quickly ending the war in Ukraine.
The president of Russia hasn’t simply let down the president of the United States. Putin has blatantly and shamelessly disrespected President Trump and disregarded the nation he leads. Putin’s words and actions since mid-August have demonstrated profound bad faith, proving that he used the summit in Alaska as a charade that feigned an interest in peace when he desired no such thing. Every missile strike on a Ukrainian civilian target, each assertion of Russian maximalist aims, and all airborne violations of NATO sovereignty provide ruthless attacks on the credibility of the United States and our president.
Some have wisely observed that Russian strikes against civilian targets that kill Ukrainian children are even a direct insult to the first lady. Melania Trump’s letter of peace to Putin has not simply been disregarded but firmly repudiated as Russia’s president maximizes civilian deaths and continues to barbarically indoctrinate Ukrainian young people snatched from their homes and ripped away from their families.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was right in the state visit press conference that “extra pressure” on Putin is what is needed. In reality, pressure is the only language the Russian president understands. Strengths, threats, costs, and consequences are a distinct dialect that resonates with this trained spy and seasoned strongman. These elements of national determination and resolution are what President Trump used to bring Putin to the negotiating table in Alaska, and they are what must define the necessary posture going forward to end the war and stop the killing.
Unfortunately, the United States has relaxed pressure on Russia since the summit, and Putin has seen it as a green light to further his war of aggression. September 3rd marked the end of President Trump’s deadline for the killing to stop, and he promised that “very severe consequences” would follow if it did not. As we approach the one-month anniversary of the expiration of that deadline without consequences, it provides a unique opportunity to revert to a strong American posture in accordance with Starmer’s admonition.
Rogue international actors like Putin follow the same pathway as perpetual criminals and petulant children. When they see deadlines pass without enforcement and get away with malign activity without consequences, it yields two outcomes. First, it quickly erodes the credibility of the authority figure. Second, it entices further malign activity; after all, authority figures are seen to endorse what they tolerate. This is exactly how things are playing out in Ukraine, to Putin’s benefit and to the detriment of American authority and Ukrainian well-being. And make no mistake, others like Premier Xi Jinping are watching, considering, and learning from the unchecked situation in Eastern Europe.
It is not too late for President Trump to return to a posture that will achieve his aims, and Prime Minister Starmer’s remarks provide an important reminder: “It’s only when the president has put pressure on Putin that he’s actually shown any inclination to move.” It’s time to reapply such pressure!
The best illustration of the truth in Starmer’s claim took place when President Trump accelerated the timeline in August. Trump’s summertime pressure-packed strategy quickly brought Putin to the negotiating table and provided a potent sign of what works to influence the Russian president — urgent and looming economic pressure. Though still delusionally determined to achieve full military success in Ukraine, Putin and his central bank realize that the Russian economy faces dismal conditions and a bleak future. American-led economic pressure, coupled with firm and credible deadlines, have already forced Putin to alter his decision-making processes. These tools provide a way forward for the extra pressure that Starmer recommends.
President Trump’s original inclination to threaten “very severe consequences” because of Russia’s continued killing in Ukraine is the proper strategy. Yet, the key to credibility is follow-through.
Pressure and strength resonate with Putin, as do economic threats and the imposition of imminent costs. Increased western weapons sales to Ukraine and relaxed weapon system limitations to allow long-range strikes on Russian military-related targets provide an added pressure point to amplify the West’s commitment to stop the killing. Now is the time for President Trump to restore the West’s credibility, reset norms, and regain the initiative in Russia’s war of aggression in Eastern Europe. The stakes are high, and the potency of American credibility hangs in the balance.
United States Air Force Brig. Gen. John Teichert (Ret.) is a leading expert on foreign affairs and military strategy. He served as commander of Joint Base Andrews and Edwards Air Force Base, was the U.S. senior defense official to Iraq, and recently retired as the assistant deputy undersecretary of the Air Force for international affairs. A prolific author and speaker, he can be followed at johnteichert.com and on LinkedIn.
