The Ukrainian air force says Russia has launched one of its biggest drone and missile attacks this year at Ukraine
ROMAN PILIPEY/AFP via Getty Images
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The Hill
42 minutes ago
- The Hill
Karl Rove warns Ukraine defeat could be Trump's Afghanistan withdrawal
Republican strategist Karl Rove on Thursday underscored the stakes of the Russia-Ukraine peace talks, saying failure to come to a resolution could be the downfall of President Trump's presidency. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed, Rove outlined the 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. Rove compared the third possibility — which Rove said would result from either no agreement or from an agreement that Russia breaks — to the Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021, when President Biden's poll numbers tanked and never recovered. 'In addition to being the worst possible outcome morally and geopolitically, this third possibility is the worst scenario for the president and the GOP,' Rove wrote in the op-ed. 'The disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and subsequent Taliban takeover broke President Biden's reputation with voters. He never recovered. Mr. Biden was at 50% approval in Gallup in July 2021; he dropped precipitously after Kabul fell the following month. He bottomed out at 36% in July 2024 before he withdrew from the presidential race,' Rove continued. 'The defeat of Ukraine by Russia would be similarly disastrous for Mr. Trump,' he added. Rove noted that Trump promised to end the war in Ukraine within 24 hours of taking office. Since then, Rove said, Trump has 'put himself at center stage' with his approach to dealmaking and his engagements with foreign leaders. 'The president can't abandon his starring role even if he wants to,' Rove said. 'Public opinion in America and the rest of the civilized world would rightly blame Mr. Putin for the invasion itself—but Mr. Trump for allowing it to succeed.' Rove said that the first outcome—a successful deal—is within reach for the U.S. president, and he touted Trump's steps so far in defense of Ukraine. He also said Trump's pressure on NATO countries to spend more on defense 'is paying off.' Rove urged Trump to become 'as tough on Mr. Putin as he has been on' Zelensky, saying that approach could get the warring countries 'to arrive at a deal that results in a durable peace.' 'Mr. Trump can bring about a reasonably successful conclusion to this catastrophic war by doing what Mr. Putin fears most: rejecting the Russian dictator's flattery and demands and insisting he make a fair, enforceable deal with Mr. Zelensky. Or else,' Rove said. 'Anything less would be a stain on Mr. Trump and on his party, for which they'd rightly pay a high political price,' he continued.
The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Will Putin ‘wriggle out' of Zelensky meeting?
'Now, the signals coming from Russia are simply outrageous,' Zelensky wrote on X. 'They are trying to wriggle out of holding a meeting. They don't want to end this war. They continue their massive attacks on Ukraine and their ferocious assaults along the frontline.' The remarks came after Russia on Thursday launched a massive attack on Ukraine that struck an American-owned electronics factory. Officials said the barrage included more than 600 drones and missiles across the country, in what Zelensky called an 'anti-record.' Trump posted a cryptic message later in the day, raising the prospect of Ukrainian attacks into Russia and predicting 'interesting times ahead.' The U.S. president on Monday indicated that Russian President Vladimir Putin was open to a meeting with Zelensky, but Russia has since sought to slow-walk the process. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking to reporters Thursday, said Putin was 'ready' for a meeting with Zelensky, but only if unspecific conditions were met. Lavrov also questioned Zelensky's 'legitimacy' in such talks and railed against NATO discussions about post-war security guarantees for Ukraine. 'All the different [ideas], all the unilateral [moves] are an absolutely hopeless venture,' Lavrov said, according to Reuters. 'As the current discussions between the West and the Ukrainian side are essentially linked to providing guarantees in the form of the foreign military intervention of a certain part of the Ukrainian territory.' Russian officials said earlier this week that any top-level talks between Putin and Zelensky would require layers of lower-level preparations. Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff claimed that Putin had agreed to NATO-like protections for Ukraine during previous talks. However, Lavrov and other Russian officials have made no such indication in public remarks this week. Trump dropped his demands for a ceasefire in Ukraine after a meeting with Putin in Alaska on Friday, insisting the two sides were making progress toward a peace deal and suggesting Putin and Zelensky could meet within days. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday said the president had canceled his August vacation to his Bedminster resort to work on talks to end the war. 'He's a man on a mission. He wants to move. Get things done quickly,' Leavitt said. 'He wants to strike when the iron is hot.'
The Hill
2 hours ago
- The Hill
Trump launches natsec probe into wind imports
Energy & Environment The Big Story Wind turbines, components come under scrutiny The Trump administration has launched a national security probe into imports of wind turbines and their components — a move that could ultimately lead to higher tariffs for wind energy. The probe, which marks the latest salvo in the administration's efforts to stymie wind energy, was announced in a Federal Register notice Thursday. 'On August 13, 2025, the Secretary of Commerce initiated an investigation to determine the effects on the national security of imports of wind turbines and their parts and components,' the notice says. It does not explicitly lay out the reasons for or evidence behind the probe, and the Bureau of Industry and Security did not immediately respond to questions from The Hill. But the administration requested information from the public on topics including the role of foreign supply chains, the impact of foreign government subsidies and predatory trade practices and whether there's any ability to weaponize foreign-built wind turbines and their parts. It comes after the administration earlier this week increased steel and aluminum tariffs for hundreds of products, including wind turbines. Welcome to The Hill's Energy & Environment newsletter, I'm Rachel Frazin — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future: White House unveils details for EU trade deal The White House unveiled details for its trade deal with the European Union (EU) on Thursday. Full Story Navarro expects no extension for 50 percent tariffs on India for buying Russian oil White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said Thursday that he doesn't expect President Trump to extend the timeline on doubling tariffs on India as a penalty for buying Russian oil beyond next week. Full Story Montana Republicans call for 50 percent tariff on Russian palladium imports The Montana congressional delegation is urging President Trump to introduce a 50 percent tariff on Russian palladium imports, after a multinational mining group with a presence in the state submitted a similar request earlier this month. Full Story What We're Reading News we've flagged from other outlets touching on energy issues, the environment and other topics: What Others are Reading Two key stories on The Hill right now: Supreme Court allows Trump to gut DEI-linked NIH grants The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling Thursday, enabled the Trump administration to cancel hundreds of millions of dollars in National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants linked to diversity initiatives. Read more Cracker Barrel redesign faces backlash, causes political frenzy Cracker Barrel, the 'old country store' eatery that has been a staple of interstate detour dining since its growth in the 1990s, is facing backlash and becoming a point of partisan conflict as the chain tries to meet modern times. Read more
