David Tafuri, an international lawyer and foreign policy expert who previously served at the U.S. State Department, spoke with The Ukrainian Week about the ongoing negotiations over the war in Ukraine, U.S. sanctions on Russia, as well as Donald Trump’s approval ratings and the challenges facing the Democratic Party.
— A few days ago, the American and Russian presidents had a conversation that ended without any real progress. Earlier, U.S. Vice President JD Vance also warned that talks on the war in Ukraine have reached a deadlock. With the negotiations stalled, what options are left to break the impasse?
— From my perspective, the crucial step is to increase pressure on Russia before Putin is willing to make the necessary concessions for a ceasefire that would be fair to Ukraine. The U.S. and Europe have two main ways to apply this pressure. First, they need to step up the supply of weapons and training that Ukraine’s Armed Forces require. Second, they should introduce new sanctions on Russia—especially secondary sanctions, like those President Trump has mentioned—and make sure these measures are enforced strictly worldwide.
— At a recent White House press conference, Trump said the U.S. wouldn’t impose new sanctions on Russia, suggesting there’s still a chance for progress. Under what circumstances might he reconsider?
— That’s hard to say. Sometimes Trump talks about imposing secondary sanctions to further limit Russia’s ability to sell oil—something crucial to stop Moscow from funneling those revenues into its military. But at other times, he suggests the U.S. and Russia could resume trade, which would mean lifting the existing sanctions.
Hopefully, if ceasefire talks break down, Trump will place the blame squarely on Russia and be open to considering new sanctions. We’ll have to wait and see.
— According to the latest Reuters poll, Trump’s approval rating sits at 44%, up slightly from 42% in April. At the same time, protests have erupted across the U.S. against the current administration’s policies. Could these demonstrations make a difference? And more broadly, what factors might drive a shift in Trump’s rhetoric?
— Trump’s rating fell after the global tariffs he announced caused a decline in the stock market and other economic indicators. His approval improved somewhat after the American president cancelled and suspended those tariffs. I believe that Trump’s popularity will continue to be closely linked to the performance of the U.S. economy overall.
— The Democratic Party has been grappling with a crisis in recent months, with only 7% of voters saying they feel “very positive” about it — a historically low figure. Why haven’t the Democrats been able to overcome this slump, and why do they respond so tepidly to Trump’s statements?
— The Democrats were caught off guard by their defeat in the November elections last year. Combined with Trump’s appointment of three Supreme Court justices during his first term, this has resulted in the Democrats losing control of the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives, while also lacking support for their policies from the Supreme Court.
Given this, the Democrats are wisely keeping a low profile for now, allowing Trump to reveal the impact of his policies on America. I expect they will reorganize and bring forward new leadership over the coming year as they prepare for the 2026 midterm elections.
