Key Points – Ukraine’s recent “Operation Spiderweb” drone strike, reportedly destroying 40 Russian bombers, has severely complicated President Trump’s faltering efforts to end the war, making his “24-hour” peace promise a distant memory.
-Russia, predictably furious and likely blaming US involvement despite denials, is expected to pull back from or stall upcoming peace talks (like the June 2nd Istanbul meeting).
-This leaves Trump with few good options, as he must now try to de-escalate potential Russian responses—including nuclear saber-rattling or even a tactical nuke test—while also navigating hawkish Congressional pressure for more sanctions on Russia.
Can Trump Still Stop the War in Ukraine?
Do you remember during the last presidential campaign when President Donald Trump said he could stop the war in Ukraine in one day?
At the time, most observers doubted that the effort would take only 24 hours and collectively rolled their eyes at Trump’s bluster. Now with the latest Ukrainian surprise drone attack on Russian strategic bombers, Trump’s rapid peace plan looks like a pipe dream.
The intrepid Ukrainian unmanned vehicle attack that destroyed 40 Russian bombers has some calling it a modern-day “Pearl Harbor.” Russia is predictably furious and Putin deemed it a terrorist attack. Trump was reportedly not consulted ahead of time about Operation Spiderweb and he was as surprised as Putin.
The Russian dictator is not expected to believe the Americans were kept in the dark. He likely believes that the U.S. intelligence community played some type of role in the technologically-advanced attack.
Peace Talks Look Dead on Ukraine
As a result, this week’s peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian negotiations in Istanbul, Turkey look tenuous. Russia is likely to pull out and give no indication they will participate again anytime soon.
Trump has a hefty burden with no easy answers. He can try and convince Volodymyr Zelensky to stand down or attempt to keep the Russians from going on nuclear high alert and escalating to an unthinkable stage of atomic readiness. Nothing Trump does will help in the short-term.
Zelensky clearly does not care about pursuing peace. Neither does Putin.
Negotiators in Turkey who met June 2 were hoping for a breakthrough to forge some type of ceasefire. There is no way Russia agrees to that. Ukraine did not conduct enough damage to end the war in Kyiv’s favor. This was a bee sting not a giant killer.
Secretary of State Rubio Is Doing His Best on Ukraine
After Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on June 1, the department’s spokesperson said the next day that “Secretary Rubio reiterated President Trump’s call for continued direct talks between Russia and Ukraine to achieve a lasting peace.”
This is an optimistic conclusion after Operation Spiderweb, but that is the only diplomatic gambit that the Americans can try. Obviously, peace efforts have not been successful. Trump’s envoy to the region, Keith Kellogg, has made little headway. The Kremlin refuses to talk to Kellogg because they think he is too pro-Ukrainian.
Trump thought he had influence with Putin and that has proved fleeting. The American president has not convinced Zelensky that he is fully on the side of Ukraine. Kyiv may not believe that Washington is willing to support the war indefinitely. This probably explains why Operation Spiderweb was executed after 18 months of planning.
Next Steps Will Be Difficult
Where does Trump and his national security team go next? Rubio probably doesn’t have enough experience, gravitas, and political capital to create peace at this time. Trump will have to take over all negotiations. He cannot do it by proxy anymore. Ukraine and Russia need a cooling off period, but all the Americans can do is try peace talks again or walk away completely.
Now Trump must get the Russians to back down and keep them from testing a tactical nuclear weapon. Putin may not order such a drastic contingency, but Russian forces are likely willing to rehearse and simulate a notional nuclear detonation in exercises and drills. This would be terrible for regional stability. Trump must also convince the Russians not to attack a NATO country that could trigger all-out war in Europe.
This is one of Trump’s worst diplomatic situations since he was re-elected for his second term. Nothing is working to keep Ukraine and Russia from fighting. It was always going to be a tall order to create some type of cease-fire and armistice. Both sides execute bloody vendettas at all times. The hatred runs deep, and there is little reason to stop the fight now.
Congress Looks Hawkish Against Russia
Congress is not making things easy for Trump. There is a bill sponsored by South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham that would impose more sanctions on Russia. This has 81 co-sponsors, and if passed, Trump could not veto it. The Senate is supposed to take it up for more consideration this week.
This would signal to Putin that the United States is not serious about ending the war. Trump may try to talk Senate Majority Leader John Thune into tabling the measure until this imbroglio clears up.
Russia Seeks Vengeance
Sanctions on Russia now would be a big mistake and liable to make this into a red alert nuclear situation. Nuclear drills and potential tactical weapon tests are also on the table. This would freeze Ukraine, NATO, and the United States into an indecision period and would be the most significant nuclear emergency since the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Trump would do his best to avoid it, but Russia is liable to up the ante. The American president needs to keep Ukraine and Russia restrained, but this will be difficult. Russia will never revert back to the 1991 borders. NATO membership would be unthinkable, and any ceasefire is impossible.
We’ll know in the coming days how Russia will respond, and let’s hope there is not a nuclear scenario that Trump would be powerless to stop.
They will be burning the midnight oil in the White House and at the State Department in the coming days, and all the effort may not come to fruition to stop this war.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
Ukraine War
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bobb
June 2, 2025 at 3:39 pm
True, for once I readily agree.
Trump is different from people like Biden, macron and starmer.
Those people gleefully await coming of ww3, but trump isn’t keen on it.
Yet trump right now doesn’t know what he wants on Ukraine, or what is needed to end the fighting.
He seems to be wishy-washy, somewhat affected by media opinions and media reports and views of foreign leaders.
You can’t be like that and yet say you have ideas or plans to end the conflict. In twenty-four hours or twenty-four days.
Trump seems to be like a man who bravely trudges into a thick tropical forest and then finds himself walking in endless circles, as everyone knows in thick tropical forests, your vision can be confused or even turned upside down by unseen forces or cryptid creatures.
That is the dilemma facing trump today, as he stumbles over the Ukraine issue.
The thing is, it’s very simple to solve the issue. The nazis, put them in western Ukraine. The non-nazis put them in eastern Ukraine.
Then put up a fence or barrier between the two.
As easy as drinking a glass of water.