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Boston Globe
3 days ago
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Trump dawdles on aid, sanctions as Ukraine turns to Europe for help
The diplomatic stalemate followed an offensive by Russia on key Ukrainian territory. That, in turn, was followed by a Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up And so it goes. Advertisement President Trump, who vowed during his campaign to end the bloody conflict on Advertisement The latter, of course, actually do have a chance to move the needle — even a handful of Republican leaders like 'It's clear to me — and I think it's becoming clear to President Trump — that the Russians are playing games,' Graham told But the bill Graham is proposing — which now has Thus the threat — new sanctions on Russia and tariffs on countries that purchase Russian oil, gas, and uranium — remains just a threat. 'He is needlessly killing a lot of people, and I'm not just talking about soldiers. Missiles and drones are being shot into Cities in Ukraine, for no reason whatsoever,' But what has the dealmaker-in-chief done about that? Arms shipments to Ukraine Ukraine is particularly in need of more Patriot missiles and launchers for its air defense system. Secretary of State Yes, a nation that was once considered the greatest military power in the world is now asking others to pass the hat for Ukraine military assistance. Advertisement The Europeans, being on the front lines of the horror that Putin has unleashed on Ukraine, have indeed stepped up — both for Ukraine and in taking seriously their own need for self-defense. British Prime Minister He cited 'war in Europe, new nuclear risks, daily cyberattacks,' and 'growing Russian aggression,' in British waters and skies. NATO Secretary General Ukraine's needs are expected to be high on the agenda for the NATO summit in the Hague at the end of June, he assured, 'making sure that Ukraine has what it needs to stay in the fight, to be able to bring this terrible Russian war of aggression against Ukraine to an end which has to be lasting, which has to be durable.' There was a time when those would be the words, the enduring message, coming from the White House — a message of peace through strength and engagement with allies. Trump has been all about making America great again — or so he says. But America can not stand proudly on the world stage if it stands alone, abandoning allies and allegiances that go back decades. Advertisement Putin has made himself and his unbridled ambitions abundantly clear. He isn't crazy, he's simply ruthless. Trump can continue to allow Putin to play him like a well-tuned Stradivarius or he can use the tools at his disposal — sanctions on Russia, tariffs on nations that buy energy from Russia, and the release of military aid to Ukraine — and actually show he means business this time. Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us
Boston Globe
04-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Trump's Oval Office tantrum won't end Ukraine war
Advertisement Indeed, the one thing that Trump did manage to accomplish when he berated Zelensky for his alleged lack of gratitude toward the United States is to roust European leaders, who quickly jumped to Zelensky's defense, promising a Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up The current phase of the war started three years ago when President Vladimir Putin of Russia sent troops into neighboring Ukraine in a bald effort to seize territory by military force. Ukraine fought back with impressive tenacity, aided by the United States and other Western powers, and the conflict is now at something like a stalemate. A cease-fire would be a first step toward a diplomatic resolution. The question is what, exactly, it would look like, and what would happen next. Macron has said he doesn't anticipate sending any peacekeeping troops to Ukraine unless and until a cease-fire deal has been negotiated and in operation for a month. 'The question is how we use this time to try and obtain an accessible truce, with negotiations that will take several weeks and then, once peace has been signed, a deployment,' Advertisement 'We want peace,' Macron said. 'We don't want it at any price, without guarantees.' One thing is clear, though — that any meaningful Ukraine deal will require at least the grudging participation of the United States. And Trump was sadly on point when Europe's offer of financial aid — London has just lent Ukraine about Trump does want a deal. He needs a deal. He said 'I know Zelensky very well and I know Putin very well. I have a good relationship and … they respect me.' If Trump truly wants to focus on China — and he should — he needs to get the war in Ukraine off his plate. And get it off his plate in a way that doesn't needlessly antagonize European allies he presumably wants on his side when it comes to China, Iran, and any number of other issues. Putin needs a deal too. Some Advertisement The issue now is, as Zelensky attempted to explain to Trump and Vice President JD Vance, how to strike and police a cease-fire deal with a man who can't be trusted to abide by a deal — who has a long history of violating every deal he has ever signed, including, as Zelensky has noted, one on the exchange of prisoners with Ukraine. Enforcement will be the key to a secure and just cease-fire agreement, leading to a longer term peace agreement — and if Europe can sign on for part of that heavy lift, so much the better. Zelensky 'We are grateful for all the support we have received from the United States,' Zelensky said. 'There hasn't been a single day when we haven't felt grateful.' If Trump is looking for an olive branch, he has it. Bullying and boorishness won't advance the cause of peace — or that mineral deal he still covets. It's time for the diplomats to take over. Editorials represent the views of the Boston Globe Editorial Board. Follow us
Boston Globe
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Boys have been allowed to play on girls' teams at Mass. high schools since the 1970s. That's not fair.
Advertisement The Trump investigation specifically cited the Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up But investigators should also focus on boys who play on girls' teams, something that's been allowed in Massachusetts since the 1970s and that continues to affect competition. Earlier this year Somerset Berkley, another field hockey team with a male player, won the MIAA Division 2 State Championship — and the boy was named South Coast Conference MVP. If investigators do look beyond just issues of transgender participation, they might get a surprisingly positive reception. While Massachusetts has earned a reputation for resisting everything that comes out of the Trump White House, some residents feel the scrutiny on the state's rules is long overdue. Some of these rules take away valuable opportunities for women, like when the boy on Somerset Berkley won MVP this past season. 'That's taking away a possible collegiate scholarship,' said Katie Aubin, a Dighton-Rehoboth mom and School Committee member. 'Getting the MVP shows a lot in your credentials on applying for colleges and getting noticed.' After the field hockey injury during the game against Swampscott, Aubin proposed a policy that allowed players and/or coaches to opt out of games where the opposing team included members of the opposite sex. Dighton-Rehoboth went on to forfeit twice to Somerset this season. Advertisement Aubin was targeted for her effort, telling me she was described as 'homophobic, transphobic, a white supremacist.' But even in a progressive state like Massachusetts, her rule was adopted by the School Committee unanimously, 10-0, across party lines. Dighton-Rehoboth superintendent Bill Runey told me that in some cases, he suspects that the MIAA has violated Title IX, a civil rights law passed in 1972 that prohibits sex-based discrimination in educational programs that receive federal funding. Giving the example of males playing on field hockey teams, Runey believes that this is 'taking away playing time there, even in some cases, taking away roster spots,' adding that 'you could be talking about impacting somebody's ability to get a college scholarship. I see that as of course an inequity for females.' Runey said that this is far from a contentious stance in his community: 'I think that the majority of the folks in our community are going to be happy that this is at least going to be investigated.' The Trump administration's Department of Education said in a They gave an example from last February, when the Collegiate Charter School of Lowell decided to Advertisement This issue has become especially charged in Massachusetts, where bringing up difficult conversations about the inclusion of transgender athletes has been branded as transphobia by activist progressives. The Trump administration's drastic response was only to be expected after years of no debate and no efforts to find a nuanced solution. But taking steps to protect women's sports doesn't necessarily make you transphobic. Nor does it make you hateful. It's a matter of making decisions that in some cases prioritize the safety of women athletes and the fairness of competition over the inclusion of a tiny minority of athletes. Alex Hagerty, the president of the Greater Boston chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans, an organization representing LGBTQ Republicans, believes that the public can be supportive of transgender people while also protecting women's sports. 'When the MIAA decided to be a little more lenient and to allow for transgender women playing in women's sports, I think it hurt the credibility of Title IX and the purpose of why Title IX was created.' Title IX, after all, was created to protect women's equal access to athletics and other educational resources. Attleboro mom and former collegiate softball player Alicia Cabral knows that the question of transgender athletes is complicated but believes that ultimately, protecting women's safety and upholding fair competition is most important. 'No one wants to make that harder for [transgender athletes],' she told me, 'but we also don't want to make it harder for our daughters.' Like her 13-year-old daughter, who practices sports seven days a week and has dreams of playing one of her favorite sports — softball, basketball, or soccer — in college. Advertisement Cabral will continue to advocate for her daughter and other female athletes. 'We're constantly struggling to make ourselves a place in the world,' she said. 'And the one place that a lot of females kind of get that satisfaction is through their sports.' Carine Hajjar is a Globe Opinion writer. She can be reached at
Boston Globe
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Law vs. chaos: How Americans can resist Trump's power grab
Advertisement Meanwhile, Trump's Justice Department is conducting a Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up It's cruel. It's grim. It's demoralizing and infuriating. But it's also unconstitutional and illegal. I've heard from readers who ask if that even matters anymore. Can't Trump and those aiding in his tyrannical actions simply ignore Congress and the courts if they try to serve as a check on his blatant attempt to expand his authority far beyond the bounds of the Constitution? The answer is, not if 'We, the People' say he can't. Some of the administration's lawless actions have been brushed back by court rulings. An attempt to unlawfully impound funding appropriated by Congress was temporary A plethora of other legal challenges have been filed. But it's important to remember that they did not appear out of the ether. They were brought by people: members of the federal workforce, labor organizations, activists, doctors, retirees, state officials acting on behalf of citizens, and many more. These are people who give our government and its laws force and authority, not Trump and certainly not Musk. There is a reason why the first three words of our Constitution are 'We, the People.' Advertisement The bases of these legal challenges are myriad and at times esoteric, but they are still important in understanding just how out of bounds the administration has been acting — and how groundbreaking the pushback has been. Let's start with the Constitution itself, because that's where a blockbuster class action suit brought by 'Plaintiffs reasonably fear that all of parts of this list might be published by allies of President Trump, thus placing themselves and their families in immediate danger of retribution by now pardoned and at-large Jan. 6 convicted felons,' the Other lawsuits, including those brought by Advertisement That law empowers courts to strike down agency actions that are done in an arbitrary or capricious manner, and done contrary to law. Describing the actions of Trump and Musk as arbitrary, capricious, and lawless is an understatement. These are just a few of the flurry of legal actions underway. I know they can be just as dizzying and difficult to understand as Trump's actions. But it's important to know that the power of our laws not come from the paper that a court ruling is written on. It's from you, me, and everyone who stands up and demands that those words have effect. And that is what is happening. It may be a slow, painful, and imperfect process. But it has been one that has helped our nation function for nearly 250 years. So, does the law matter? Yes, if We, the People, say it does. And so we say. This is an excerpt from , a newsletter about the Supreme Court from columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Kimberly Atkins Stohr is a columnist for the Globe. She may be reached at
