WASHINGTON, D.C. – Britain's prime minister meets with President Trump at the White House today, and Ukrainian President Zelenskyy is set to visit tomorrow. Their goal is to help secure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.
Some of the administration's moves that appear to favor Russia have lawmakers questioning the president's strategy. Others argue that a new game plan is needed.
This week on Capitol Hill, lawmakers on the House Sub-Committee on Military and Foreign Affairs focused on the Trump Administration's "American First" foreign policy strategy.
While there's bipartisan support for shoring up U.S. defenses and protecting Americans from emerging global threats, Democrats questioned whether President Trump's approach is at the expense of our allies.
"Europe is not our enemy. We have similar goals, shared values, and most importantly, many decades of mutual trust and cooperation with the goal of global peace and stability," said Rep. Suhas Subramanyam (D-VA).
"If our allies believe they can't rely on us, they will stop sharing critical intelligence. That is a threat to our country," Subramanyam continued.
Republicans, meanwhile, blame what they consider Biden administration policy failures for emboldening our adversaries and putting both the interests of America, and our allies, at risk.
"We see this in the Indo-Pacific, where U.S. allies question our resolve, and adversaries probe our vulnerabilities. The previous administration's failure to respond decisively to challenges, whether in the South China Sea, the Taiwan Straight, or securing critical supply chains, has dissolved confidence in America's leadership," said Rep. William Timmons (R-SC).
Republicans also say the former administration failed to prevent the war in Ukraine, is responsible for the resurgence of Iran-backed terror organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah, and failed to secure the U.S. Southern border.
"President Trump is undoing the crippling policies of the Biden administration and returning the globe to peace through American strength," Timmons said.
Dr. Charles Kupchan, a senior fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations, says Trump has the opportunity to be a powerful agent of change for U.S. foreign policy.
"Trump, if nothing else, is a disrupter who recognizes that it's time to go from the old to the new. The question I have in my mind, that I pose to the committee, is President Trump going to only be a demolition man, who brings down the old order and leaves us standing in the rubble, or is he going to be someone who brings us from the old to the new and brings an American grand strategy, and international system, that is better," Kupchan said.
The Heritage Foundation's, Brent Sadler, warned lawmakers that deterring future aggression from countries like China and Russia will require a fresh perspective.
"The focus on just readiness is a failure, the focus just on capacity is a failure, and a focus just on new capabilities and modern weapons systems is a failure. We're in an 'and' world. We have to do all three of those things if we hope to keep the peace," Sadler said.
Witnesses also talked about the importance of restoring the American people's faith in soft power as a deterrent, which includes foreign aid. In order to effectively wage that weapon, experts say the American people will need to know their taxpayer dollars are no longer seen as bureaucratic waste.
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