Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer decried President Donald Trump’s handling of the Russia-Ukraine war on Sunday, saying that the U.S. is risking its European alliances and making the country look “weak” against foreign adversaries.
The Trump administration has been ramping up pressure on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin in recent weeks to agree to a U.S.-led proposal that would recognize Russia’s seizure of Crimea. Trump and other White House officials, including Vice President JD Vance, have also started threatening to abandon peace negotiations if both countries don’t come to the table soon.
Schumer made it clear Sunday he objected to the direction that Trump’s diplomacy has taken away from support of Ukraine. “The Europeans have stood up for us — the whole West has stood up for us,” Schumer said during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “They’ve put in money. They’ve used all kinds of diplomatic and economic tools to back us and how is Europe going to trust us ever again if Trump backs out?”
Schumer’s concerns about Europe come after Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff skipped a summit last week with European allies to discuss ending the three-year war, signaling the Trump administration’s desires to press forward with its Moscow-favored proposal.
Schumer warned that Trump’s strategy could embolden the nation’s adversaries, such as China and Iran.
“Worst of all, it’s a sign that the United States is weak,” Schumer said. It sends a signal to every dictator in China, in North Korea, in Iran, that if you stand up and bully Trump, you’re going to get your way.”
Some Republicans are also starting to sour on Trump’s approach to the war. On Friday, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) warned Trump that Putin was “playing America as a patsy” and urged the president to institute sanctions on Russia.
Even Trump seems to be becoming more skeptical about Putin’s desire to come to a deal. On Saturday, Trump bashed Putin for launching an attack on Kyiv, which killed at least eight people, last week.
“There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,” Trump said in a post to Truth Social.
Schumer said it would be “a moral tragedy to undercut Zelenskyy” and withdraw with cease-fire negotiations. Yet, he said he believes the president is “headed in that direction.”
