Politics is a fickle business, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has lost the favor of sensible Americans, who demand that our focus and resources be devoted to the US homeland, not far away, intractable wars.
This Zelensky fall from grace stands in stark contrast to the constant adoration he enjoys from the legacy media platforms of Washington and New York. After all, even before the war in Ukraine, he was fawned over by the US corporate media for his indirect role in spurring the first sham impeachment of President Trump.
Since the Russian invasion, he graduated to the circles of a true global celebrity, feted by Hollywood elites as he scampered from Davos to Washington, demanding an endless flow of arms and money into his stalemate war. Hat in hand, Zelensky has never made a compelling case why this ancient, regional rivalry in the Black Sea involves a critical national security interest to the United States.
Nonetheless, the powerbrokers of America rallied to his cause, as it propped up the Washington War Machine that had been idled by President Trump’s first term. After Trump wound down the misbegotten global military adventures he inherited, the defense contractors, lobbyists, and DC think tanks desperately needed a new armed intervention. So, eastern Ukraine morphed into their new Gold Rush.
But Zelensky’s recent dust-up in the Oval Office with President Trump and Vice President JD Vance showcased for many Americans the reality of Volodymyr’s greed and lack of appreciation. America has been borrowing hundreds of billions of dollars—money we do not have—to send to Kyiv, with almost zero accountability for how the weapons and money are used. Regardless, Zelensky showed up to the White House in a sweatshirt and protested like an ungrateful child.
Thankfully, common-sense Americans now see through the narrative, and Zelensky’s poll numbers in America plummet. My organization, the League of American Workers, just commissioned a nationwide poll that shows Zelensky’s total approval rating is down to just 39%. Zelensky’s approval in the US largely breaks along party lines, with Democrat voters giving him a strong 61% approval, but Independent US voters showing only 33% approval. This poll was conducted by TIPP Insights and surveyed 1,720 voters who went for Trump +2% last November.
For context, consider Zelensky approval polling conducted by YouGov/Economist. Back when the war began, Democrats, Republicans, and Independents all gave Zelensky sky-high approval numbers, which was understandable as he faced a brutal invasion. Among both Republicans and Independents, he earned around a huge +40% net approval ratio in the summer of 2022.
But since then, Zelensky’s approval numbers in the United States have crashed. Right now, he only maintains a +7% approval ratio among Independents, per You/Gov, and has collapsed to a horrible -40% approval rating among Republican voters. So, he literally moved from approximately 70/30% approve to only 30/70% approve among GOP-leaning Americans.
In contrast, Donald Trump’s approval among Republicans remains super elevated, with 80% approval, per this new TIPP survey. Of course, such a positive number is expected from partisan voters, just weeks after their candidate takes office.
But all Americans, regardless of party, also convey strong confidence in Trump’s ability to make peace and find a solution to this Ukraine quagmire. Specifically, by a +16% margin (53-37%), Americans believe President Trump will find a “resolution” and end the war in Ukraine.
In fact, Trump’s incredible November 2024 election mandate win flowed largely from this exact worldview, meaning a focus on guarding America’s own borders, and not ones thousands of miles away.
But America First does not mean “America Alone.”
The United States still maintains the primary leadership role in the world. Simultaneously, citizens of this Republic demand that the resources of the country be primarily devoted to improving the lives of Americans, and not to filling the coffers of foreign leaders, many of whom are systemically corrupt.
One such politician is Zelensky.
So, when the fighting ceases there, at Trump’s behest, then Ukraine must schedule long-delayed elections. Zelensky will likely lose that contest, as war-weary Ukrainians tire of his policies and reject his corruption. Early polling suggests that General Valerii Zaluzhnyi would handily defeat Zelensky.
With Trump in the White House and a new president in Kyiv, both countries can thrive and achieve a healthy long-term relationship of reciprocal benefit.
Steve Cortes is president of the League of American Workers, a populist right pro-laborer advocacy group, and senior political advisor to Catholic Vote. He is a former senior advisor to President Trump and JD Vance, plus a former commentator for Fox News and CNN.
Original article link: American Greatness
TIPP Takes
Geopolitics, Geoeconomics, And More
1. NATO to Ask Europe and Canada for 30% Boost in Military Capacity - Bloomberg
According to a senior alliance official, NATO plans to ask European allies and Canada to increase their stocks of weaponry and equipment by about 30% in the next few years.
Trump has repeatedly accused NATO members of taking advantage of Washington by not spending enough on defense. He has indicated that the US will step back from its traditional security role in Europe and demanded allies spend 5% — a goal widely viewed as unrealistic and one even the US doesn’t meet.
2. Putin Would Breach Ukraine Deal If It Is Not Defended, Says UK PM - BBC
The UK prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, said any agreement to stop the fighting between Russia and Ukraine would "only be lasting" if there were "security arrangements in place".
He was speaking at Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood, London, where more than 20 countries gathered at a closed meeting to discuss proposals for troops in Ukraine to help guarantee the country's security as part of any peace deal.
3. Zelenskyy Says Ukraine To Send Team For Talks With U.S. In Saudi Arabia Next Week - RFE/RL
During a visit to Norway, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine would prepare a list of buildings and facilities to make clear what it considers to be civilian infrastructure after Kyiv and Moscow agreed to a partial cease-fire.
During a phone call with President Donald Trump on March 18, Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to halt strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure, only to violate it hours later. "I don't want to have a different understanding of what the parties would agree to," Zelenskyy said, adding the Ukrainian delegation would not hold face-to-face talks with a Russian group of officials who will also be in Saudi Arabia on March 24.
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"You're not in power yet but already lying like Goebbels," Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and prime minister, wrote on Telegram, comparing Germany's likely next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, to Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels.
Medvedev, who served a single term as Russian president from 2008 to 2012 and is currently deputy head of Russia's Security Council, was referring to comments Merz made during a German parliamentary debate on defense spending. The German politician said Russia was not only waging war against Ukraine but against all of Europe.
5. 'We Don't Want A War With China' - Trump - TIPP Insights
President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared together in the Oval Office of the White House to clarify, once again, that The New York Times report was completely fabricated. "Elon has businesses in China. He will be susceptible if there is a war with China. We don't want war with China.." Trump said.
"Even Elon wouldn't want to put himself in the position," he added.
6. Musk Won’t Hear China War Plans In Pentagon Visit, Says Trump - TIPP Insights
President Donald Trump has refuted a New York Times report claiming that Elon Musk was scheduled for a Pentagon briefing on U.S. military plans in the event of war with China.
Trump took to Truth Social on Thursday to deny the report, stating that “China will not even be mentioned or discussed” during the meeting.
7. Chinese Carmakers Accelerate Global Push Amid Geopolitical Risks, Tariffs - Nikkei Asia
In a year full of geopolitical uncertainty and rising trade barriers, Chinese automakers are not backing away from global markets but instead ramping up their expansion efforts.
On Tuesday, Xpeng said it is targeting more than doubling its overseas sales to over 40,000 units and expanding to over 300 sales and service stores worldwide this year. The company will also establish new overseas R&D centers to develop and test its Turing AI driving system internationally in 2025 and bring its advanced AI driving capabilities to more countries in 2026 and beyond.
8. U.S., Israel To Hold Talks On Iran At White House Next Week - Reuters
The planned meeting follows President Donald Trump’s letter to Iran’s leadership earlier this month in which he warned Tehran it had the choice of either striking a nuclear deal with the U.S. or facing possible military action.
The Washington-based source told Reuters that the Israeli delegation will be led by strategic affairs minister Ron Dermer and national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and will meet with senior Trump advisers. The two teams are expected to discuss the potential for U.S.-Iran nuclear talks and regional issues related to Tehran.
9. EU Pushes Back Tariff Response To Trump Duties - D.W.
The tariffs on steel and aluminum were supposed to go into force on April 1, but the European Union (EU) decided to give two more weeks for dialogue despite the fact President Donald Trump's duties were already enacted.
A second set of tariffs targeting U.S. industrial and agricultural goods is also planned. According to EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, the decision came as a bid to "try to find a mutually agreeable resolution."
10. U.S. Approves Sale Of Precision-Guided Weapons To Saudi Arabia - Al Arabiya
In July, the State Department also approved a separate deal worth approximately $2.8 billion, under which the U.S. agreed to provide Saudi Arabia with logistics systems, joint planning programs, and equipment related to American-made aircraft.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Military Industries (GAMI) reported that the kingdom’s military spending has grown at an annual rate of 4.5 percent since 1960, reaching $75.8 billion in 2024. This makes Saudi Arabia the fifth-largest military spender globally and the top spender in the Arab world.
11. Canadian Prime Minister Carney To Call Snap Federal Election - UPI
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will call a snap federal election Sunday with voting as soon as April 28, according to Canadian media reports.
CTV News and Radio-Canada, citing unnamed sources, confirmed the plan to call the election but the actual voting day hasn't been decided. It could be either April 28 or May 5. Carney will ask Canada's governor-general to dissolve Parliament and call the federal election. He faces an election campaign after having just been sworn in on March 14.
12. Netherlands Wants To Double Army Personnel - Reuters
Dutch public broadcaster NOS, citing sources close to the matter, said the Netherlands wants to increase its army personnel from 74,000 to 200,000, with a special focus on enlarging the reservist capacity.
Fears about Russia and doubts about the future of U.S. protection are driving European nations to rethink their defense policies. Another NATO nation, Poland, wants to offer military training to 100,000 volunteers by 2027.
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For the eighth consecutive year, Finland has topped the World Happiness Report, leading the rankings alongside its Nordic neighbors.
The United States has fallen to its lowest happiness ranking ever, according to the annual World Happiness Report released to mark the International Day of Happiness. The United States' 24th place is its lowest ranking since the report was first published in 2012, when it ranked as high as 11th.
The Nordic countries were all in the top 10, with Finland followed by Denmark in second place, Iceland in third, and Sweden in fourth, as was the case last year. Norway came in seventh.
14. Germany Reopens Its Embassy In Syria, 13 Years After It Was Closed - A.P.
Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock reopened the embassy before meeting interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa and others during a visit to Damascus, her second since the fall of former President Bashar Assad in December.
Germany’s foreign minister said that Europe needs “eyes and ears” on the ground as it follows the Syrian political transition. Among the European Union’s 27 members, Italy reopened its embassy last year before the fall of Assad, and Spain reopened its embassy after his ouster.
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India’s IT ministry has unlawfully expanded censorship powers to allow the easier removal of online content and empowered “countless” government officials to execute such orders, Elon Musk’s X has alleged in a new lawsuit against New Delhi.
The lawsuit and the allegations mark an escalation in an ongoing legal dispute between X and the government of India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, over how New Delhi orders content to be taken down. It also comes as Musk is getting closer to launching his other key ventures, Starlink and Tesla, in India.
16. North Korea Test-Fires New Anti-Aircraft Missile System - Kyodo News
North Korea said it conducted a test-fire of a new anti-aircraft missile system the previous day that was overseen by leader Kim Jong Un, with its full-scale production already underway, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.
The test proved the system's "combat fast response" and Kim expressed his gratitude for the efforts of researchers and munitions industry officials, saying the North Korean military will be equipped with "another major defense weapon system with laudable combat performance," KCNA said.
17. Sudan’s Army Recaptures Presidential Palace After Two Years Of War - TIPP Insights
Sudan’s army has retaken the presidential palace in Khartoum, and appears poised to regain control of the capital two years after it was kicked out by the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The army appears poised to regain control of the capital two years after it was kicked out by its paramilitary rivals, known as the RSF. Khartoum is where the country's brutal civil war began nearly two years ago, and where some of its biggest battles were fought.
18. Apple Is Reportedly Losing $1 Billion A Year On Its Streaming Service As Churn Levels Increase - Yahoo Finance
According to a report in the Information, Apple has consistently spent over $5 billion annually to beef up its content slate since launching in 2019. That number, though, dramatically decreased to just about $500 million last year, the report said.
The update comes as many media giants have pulled back on spending in favor of profitability. Last year, Apple partnered with Netflix (NFLX) and Comcast's Peacock (CMCSA) to launch a new bundle dubbed StreamSaver, exclusively available to Comcast broadband internet service customers for a cost of $15 a month.
19. Institutional Money Is Pouring Into Bitcoin — Macro Investor Says That’s A Good Thing - TheStreet
While some purists believe Bitcoin was created to operate outside of government and institutional control, others welcome the involvement of financial giants like BlackRock and the U.S. government, seeing it as a catalyst for mainstream adoption.
Speaking on TheStreet Roundtable, macro investor and 10T Holdings founder Dan Tapiero compared the situation to the gold market, where some investors prefer holding physical gold bars, while others are content trading gold ETFs or futures. He sees Bitcoin evolving similarly. Tapiero believes institutional involvement is ultimately a net positive for Bitcoin’s adoption.
20. Diet Changes Might Reduce Risk Of Ringing Ears - HealthDay News
New research suggests that eating more fruit and fiber or drinking more milk and coffee may also stave off the vexing and persistent buzzing that can drive folks to distraction.
Simple dietary changes appear to reduce people's risk of developing tinnitus, researchers reported in The BMJ. Results showed that increased consumption of certain foods reduced tinnitus risk:
- Fruits by 35%
- Dairy by 17%
- Caffeine by 10%
- Fiber by 9%.
