WHAT THE WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE NATO SUMMIT MEAN FOR UKRAINE - The Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center hosts a discussion examining the effects of US policy in the Middle East and the latest NATO Summit on Russia’s war against Ukraine.
It has been an eventful two weeks for US national security policy. The decisive US strike on Iran’s nuclear capabilities that followed Israel’s remarkable recent operations have set Tehran back in acquiring a nuclear weapon. With a fragile ceasefire installed shortly thereafter, US President Donald Trump has shown that peace through strength can produce results.
The administration gave mixed signals on its Europe policy at the NATO Summit, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio showing reluctance around sanctioning Russia, while Trump didn’t rule out the possibility of more air defense for Ukraine and voiced frustration with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This reflects the fact that while all eyes were on the crisis in the Middle East, the Kremlin increased the targeting of civilians in a massive bombing campaign in Ukraine and bristled with the US over its strikes against Russia’s strategic ally Iran.

Original Air Date: 07/01/2025