Release: NDN Calls on President Trump to Demand Russia Honor Ukrainian Ceasefire

"Last night, the US State Department acknowledged that Russia is violating the Minsk ceasefire agreement and has escalated its military activities in eastern Ukraine. The State Department also acknowledged that this escalation began last Saturday, the day of the first phone call between President Trump and Mr. Putin. The Washington Post has a good editorial out this morning putting these activities in context.

NDN calls on the Trump Administration to forcefully defend the Minsk agreement and demand Russia and its forces in Ukraine to stand down. Given the President's statements about Russia over the past year, Americans have every reason to be concerned about whether it has become the policy of the United States to appease ongoing Russian aggression against its neighbors and the West. It was shocking that our President for example did not raise the issue of Russia's interference in US domestic politics - an ongoing activity some have equated to an act of war - in his call with Mr. Putin on Saturday.

Failure to take immediate concrete steps along with our NATO allies to encourage Russia to de-escalate will be a tactic sign of approval from the Trump Administration, and will signal a dramatic and unwelcome change in policy towards one of the world’s most menacing powers.  It should also be noted that candidate Trump explicitly promised that such aggression by Russia in Ukraine would not happen if he were to become President."

- Simon Rosenberg, President, NDN

For this statement and more of Simon's analysis, please review our backgrounder on Russia's insurgency against the West. Additionally, in two recent Twitter threads, Simon elaborated on his concerns of Trump's appeasement of Russia and Trump's steps that signal radical changes in US foreign policy.