Conservative columnist Charlie Sykes sharply criticized President Donald Trump on Sunday, arguing in a new essay that the president's recent overtures to Russia amount to «treachery» and could become an «October surprise» that damages Republicans in the midterm elections.
Sykes, who writes the «To The Contrary» newsletter on Substack, focused on a series of moves over the past week in which Trump agreed to purchase millions of barrels of Russian diesel fuel and to ease sanctions against Russia as a way of keeping the country «at the negotiating table» to end the war in Ukraine.
«Donald Trump's treachery was predictable and predicted. Even so, watching him throwing a financial lifeline to Putin as the monstrous mob boss murders Ukrainians is sick-making stuff,» Sykes wrote.
The column was published the same day Trump repeated claims that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy bears responsibility for the global rise in diesel fuel costs because Ukraine continues to attack Russian oil infrastructure. Analysts have noted that Trump's proposed «energy ceasefire» between Ukraine and Russia has not taken hold, with both countries continuing to strike each other's assets.
At the same time, Trump has sought to deflect blame for recent Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians. Last week, reports indicated that a slowdown in Ukraine's Starshield systems, which help identify and defend against ballistic missile attacks, resulted from an order from Trump's White House.
Sykes argued that the recent developments represent a «vindication» of the long-standing belief among Trump's critics that he is working in Russia's favor. «Would it help if he had the grace to admit that the critics were right from the start? Maybe,» Sykes wrote. «But vindication doesn't mean we don't feel like throwing up as we watch the United States shiv a brave democratic ally, while Ukrainians die.»
The essay adds to a growing debate among conservatives over Trump's approach to Moscow, as the administration balances diplomatic outreach with pressure from lawmakers and allies who favor continued support for Kyiv. Sykes, a longtime conservative voice, has been a persistent critic of Trump and framed the latest moves as a test of whether the president's foreign policy will carry political costs for his party.