Zelenskyy says meeting with Trump to happen 'in the near future'

The mainstream framing treats a coming Trump-Zelenskyy meeting as a feel-good signal of “progress,” as if the only responsible posture is endless engagement and open-ended aid. That skips over the question Americans are actually asking: what, precisely, are we buying, and when does it end?

A serious negotiation is welcome, but it has to be anchored in clear objectives, not wishful thinking. Washington owes the public accountability for taxpayer dollars, a realistic definition of victory, and a plan that reduces risk of escalation. Otherwise diplomacy becomes a substitute for strategy, and headlines replace results.

Trump’s leverage matters only if it serves national security first and restores public trust at home. The principle at stake is simple: foreign policy is not charity, it is stewardship.