No, President Zelenskyy and the EU, you don’t dictate American foreign policy

American foreign policy is determined in Washington, D.C.—not Kyiv, not Brussels, and certainly not in the corridors of the European Union. President Zelenskyy and the EU elite seem to have forgotten this lesson.

The Constitution vests foreign policy powers in the hands of the president, with the secretary of state as the chief diplomat—not in the office of the president of Ukraine.

Yet here we are, with Zelenskyy insisting on a seat at every negotiating table, dictating terms as though American military support is his birthright.

European leaders are no better, pressuring the United States to double down—yet again—on a failed strategy in Ukraine while hiding behind America’s military might.

Let’s be clear: Ukraine has every right to fight for its survival and to have a say in any negotiated peace. However, Ukraine cannot dictate how the United States conducts its foreign policy. That responsibility belongs to the president and the secretary of state.

A War Without Strategy

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine began in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea. The current full-scale phase ignited in February 2022, and on its third anniversary, the war shows no signs of abating. What started as a regional struggle has metastasized into a protracted and brutal war without end.

The hard truth? Russia is winning. Its forces are consolidating gains and gearing up for a spring offensive that Ukraine can’t counter.

And yet, instead of recalibrating our strategy, some in Washington doubled down—pouring billions more into a war with no end in sight.

But not everyone is following that path. President Trump is attempting to recalibrate toward peace, seeking a solution that ends the bloodshed and protects American interests.

The Folly of Ignoring Russia

One of the most absurd arguments peddled by the foreign policy elite is that negotiating with Putin only serves to prolong the war. By that logic, ignoring Russia should’ve ended the war by now. But here we are—three years later, with more graves dug and no peace in sight.

Diplomacy isn’t wishful thinking—it’s about engaging even our worst adversaries to achieve strategic goals.

This is where Trump’s approach fundamentally differs. He understands that successful negotiations require listening to all sides—even those we’d rather not. He knows that to end this war, we can’t afford to freeze out the one country with the power to stop it.

The Financial and Strategic Cost of Endless War

The Ukrainian government estimates that rebuilding the country will cost at least $1 trillion—a figure that will only skyrocket if this war drags on.

How much of that bill will Europe pay? How much will Ukraine cover? We all know the answer—American taxpayers will foot the lion’s share if globalists have their way.

But the costs aren’t simply financial. The U.S. is rapidly depleting its military stockpiles, sending weapons intended for national defense to Ukraine. As a result, American forces are now stretched thin.

And for what? To achieve the impossible dream of restoring Ukraine’s 2021 borders? To retake Crimea, which Russia will never willingly relinquish?

These goals are detached from reality and achievable only through massive offensive operations requiring tens of thousands of troops and mountains of weaponry—resources the U.S. doesn’t have to spare.

Reframing U.S. Foreign Policy Priorities

The obsession with isolating Russia has backfired, pushing Moscow deeper into China’s orbit and strengthening the rival we should focus on—Beijing.

It’s time for a pivot. The United States must shift its foreign policy focus toward containing China and Middle Eastern radicalism—not escalating an endless regional conflict in Eastern Europe.

Russia can be a strategic asset in this context. Rather than isolating Moscow, we should look for ways to pry it away from China and realign its interests with ours. A wedge between Russia and China would serve American interests far more than sinking billions into an unwinnable war in Ukraine.

American Foreign Policy for America’s Sake

American foreign policy serves American interests—not Ukraine’s or the EU’s, but ours.

It’s long past time for our leaders to remember that, and it’s even longer past time for the European Union to remember that.

The Biden administration’s failed Ukraine policy drained our resources, weakened our military, and left us strategically adrift.

President Trump’s approach—engaging all parties, pursuing pragmatic solutions, and focusing on long-term U.S. interests—offers a path forward to end this regional conflict that drains American weaponry and dollars while serving little strategic interest to the U.S.—and with no plan for success.

The alternative? More wasted American treasure and the growing risk that American blood will be shed—all in service of an impossible goal.

It’s time to reclaim American foreign policy—for America’s interests—not Kyiv’s, not Brussels’s, and certainly not the globalist elite.

The world isn’t waiting for us to catch up. Our adversaries are rewriting the rules while the global order our foreign policy elites envisioned crumbles under their failed strategies.

Charlton Allen is an attorney, former chief executive officer, and chief judicial officer of the North Carolina Industrial Commission. He is the founder of the Madison Center for Law & Liberty, Inc., editor of The American Salient, and the host of the Modern Federalist podcast. X: @CharltonAllenNC

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Image: Volodymyr Zelensky.  Credit: IAEA Imagebank via <a data-cke-saved-href=" by captext="