The Retired Men’s Association of Greenwich invites you to its Wednesday, September 3 meeting where the speaker will be Thomas Graham, whose talk is titled “Can Trump Bring Peace to Ukraine?”
The talk takes place at 11:00 am at Christ Church, Parish Hall, 254 East Putnam Ave in Greenwich.
The program will also be shown on Zoom at https://bit.ly/30IBj21 and on local cable channels 24 (Verizon) and 1310 (Optimum)
President Donald Trump promised to bring a swift end to the Russia-Ukraine during the presidential campaign and launched an effort to do just that shortly after he was inaugurated.
Seven months later, the war rages on with no end in sight. The president pressured Kyiv into backing an early unconditional ceasefire, but he has so far failed to find the leverage to bring Russia to commit to a ceasefire. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to pursue relentlessly his maximal goals, which would spell the end of Ukraine’s independence.
Nevertheless, it is too early for Trump to abandon the effort to bring peace to Ukraine. To succeed, he needs a new strategy. Four elements are critical. He needs to set a clear goal that goes beyond a simple ceasefire to an enduring settlement that guarantees Ukraine’s independence and lays the basis for long-term stability in Europe. He needs to work closely with Ukraine and US allies to resist Russian aggression, while launching a strategic dialogue with Russia to responsibly manage competition between our two countries. And he needs to show that he can and will sustain this strategy for the long-term. This will not produce the quick end to the conflict Trump promised, but with time and patience it could lay the foundation for a more enduring peace in Europe.
Thomas Graham is a distinguished fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is a cofounder of the Russian, East European and Eurasian studies program at Yale University, where he lectures on US-Russian relations. From 2004 to 2007 he was special assistant and senior director for Russia on the National Security Council staff during which time he managed a U.S.-Russia strategic dialogue. From 2008 to 2021 he served as an advisor to Kissinger Associates. Previously he was a foreign service officer, with assignments including two tours of duty at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow. He holds a BA in Russian studies from Yale and an MA in history and a PhD in political science from Harvard.
Parking: Arrive early. If the Christ Church campus is full, parking at Christ Church, Scientist, a 15 minute walk, is a available. Download parking map for guidance.
The Greenwich Retired Men’s Association offers a free program every Wednesday that is open to the public, both men and women; no reservations are required. The RMA social break starts at 10:40 am followed promptly by our presentation at 11:00 am. For additional information see https://greenwichrma.org.