--- title: How Trump Could Help Stop a War Between Russia and Ukraine description: If President Trump stands up to Vladimir Putin at the upcoming G20 meeting, and uses NATO support, the latest conflict can be settled canonical: https://time.com/5463988/russia-ukraine-trump-putin-g20/ author: James Stavridis article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-11-26T23:16:36.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-31T11:49:03.222Z article:section: Ideas og:title: President Trump Could Help Stop a War Between Russia and Ukraine — But Only If He Will Stand Up to Putin og:description: The President needs to speak strongly, without making the conflict about the U.S. og:url: https://time.com/5463988/russia-ukraine-trump-putin-g20/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt877564bf215fe429/69893ff722fb85a73be27424/ukraine-russia-navy-nato.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: ukraine-russia-navy-nato og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: President Trump Could Help Stop a War Between Russia and Ukraine — But Only If He Will Stand Up to Putin twitter:description: The President needs to speak strongly, without making the conflict about the U.S. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt877564bf215fe429/69893ff722fb85a73be27424/ukraine-russia-navy-nato.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # President Trump Could Help Stop a War Between Russia and Ukraine — But Only If He Will Stand Up to Putin > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs takes readers inside the newsroom, revealing the journalists, ideas and editorial choices behind the stories shaping the global conversation. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=f39d0f8a-cbf8-42ac-9f0b-1e377e99734a&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Sam Jacobs, Editor-in-Chief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership Globally minded knowledge seekers. Readers who turn to journalism to understand the world, with meaningful concentrations among educators, students, media professionals, civic institutions and knowledge workers. ### TIME Inside TIME: key statements * Inside TIME is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * Inside TIME is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=f39d0f8a-cbf8-42ac-9f0b-1e377e99734a&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/subscribe?i=f39d0f8a-cbf8-42ac-9f0b-1e377e99734a&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is Inside TIME? Inside TIME is a twice-weekly newsletter written by TIME Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs. It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. by [James Stavridis](https://time.com/author/james-stavridis/) ## James Stavridis Nov 26, 2018 11:16 PM UTC  The Nikopol and the Berdyansk gunboats of the Ukrainian Navy tugged to the Kerch Seaport. The Nikopol and the Berdyansk gunboats of the Ukrainian Navy tugged to the Kerch Seaport. TASS/Getty Images by [James Stavridis](https://time.com/author/james-stavridis/) ## James Stavridis Nov 26, 2018 11:16 PM UTC Had anybody ever heard of the Sea of Azov? It is a very shallow inland sea not even the size of Lake Michigan, tucked away in a northern corner of the far larger Black Sea. But over the past few days, it has become the site of a dramatic at-sea conflict between Russia and Ukraine. On Nov. 25, Russian warships in the Sea of Azov carrying Spetznatz — the Russian equivalent of U.S. Navy SEALS — seized two Ukrainian gunboats and a tug, wounding half-a-dozen sailors, the Ukrainian navy has reported. The Russians impounded the sovereign warships and detained nearly 30 sailors, and a Kremlin spokesman has told state media that they are investigating the supposed Ukrainian incursion into their claimed territorial waters. All of this flows from the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2014 that led to Russia’s illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, which comprises much of the southwestern edge of the Sea of Azov, and the ongoing occupation of southeastern Ukraine by rebel forces supported by Russian troops and special forces. [Look at the map](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kerch+Strait/@45.2741036,34.3514798,7z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x40ee986f8df1b659:0x30d31cb81e4e65b6!8m2!3d45.2414255!4d36.529626) — to truly consolidate the annexation of Crimea, Russia needs totally secure communications from the Russian mainland to the peninsula. The best way to accomplish that is to control the highly strategic [Strait of Kerch](https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201811261070147786-kerch-strait-conflict-comment/), the narrow waterway between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. For the Trump Administration, though, this will be another testing point in its notably [odd relationship with Russia](http://time.com/5339848/donald-trump-vladimir-putin-summit-transcript/) — just as President Trump prepares for [a summit with Vladimir Putin](http://time.com/4850325/g20-summit-donald-trump-vladimir-putin-protests/) at this week’s G20 meeting. On the one hand, the President’s team (especially [Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis](http://time.com/5381205/jim-mattis-south-korea-war-drills/) and [National Security Advisor John Bolton](http://time.com/5220103/john-bolton-is-trumps-newest-hawk-how-tough-will-he-be/)) have taken a strong stand against Russian bad behavior, particularly [the annexation of Crimean](http://time.com/93766/vladimir-putin-crimea-russia-ukraine/). The U.S. has correctly led the imposition of economic sanctions that have had a serious impact on the Russian economy. They have also led the charge against Russia’s repeated violations of the INF treaty, as well as the Russian military’s dangerous operational practices against NATO warships and jets. But after before, during and after the President’s disastrous mid-summer Helsinki press conference beside Putin, Trump has given Russia a pass on its disruptive behavior internationally. This dissonance must end. And the upcoming summit provides an essential opportunity to correct Trump’s stance, both in the President’s private high-level meetings, and in public. Russian behavior in Ukraine is clearly illegal under international law. In particular, the President must make clear that the annexation of Crimea is a crime, and that sanctions will continue until Russia modifies its stance and chooses to work with the international community to resolve the situation through the process determined by the Minsk Protocol in 2014\. Allowing a frozen conflict, like Georgia and Moldovia (both essentially occupied by Russia), is untenable — Ukraine is too large, important and nationalistic to permit a long-term annexation of a further chunk of their state. The President must show zero daylight between the U.S. and our NATO and European allies on this issue, or Putin will exploit the seams to continue toward achieving his ultimate strategic goal of unraveling the trans-Atlantic alliance. The President must also strongly affirm U.S. support for Ukraine in every dimension, including providing them with capable defensive armament. The [Obama](http://time.com/4630509/obama-photos/) Administration dithered unnecessarily on this, emboldening Russia, and the Trump national security team has been appropriately strong on this point. In addition to anti-air tactical systems, ammunition, radars, communications devices and the like, America should also provide appropriate levels of training and advising, using NATO as a vehicle to do so. Speaking of: NATO-Ukraine cooperation has an important role to play in this situation. It can provide a reassuring sounding board for the Ukrainians, who are understandably moving toward a war footing. President Petro Poroshenko has successfully declared martial law for 30 days and energized his defense establishment. He clearly sees the Russian moves as a potential thrust to fully consolidate control over the Donbass region in the southeast of Ukraine. Putin may be calculating that, with the Mueller investigation in the U.S. coming to a head, the President and his team will be distracted as the year concludes and the holiday season beckons. This gives us all the more reason to make NATO the centerpiece, and to not make this a U.S.-Russian confrontation, which will better protect all we’ve gained. Most of all, the President ought to make the point that it is in no one’s interest to stumble backward into a full-blown Cold War, let alone have an actual war inside Ukraine. Perhaps by appealing to [Putin’s pragmatic side](http://time.com/5414918/vladimir-putin-2019-calendar/), we can defuse this crisis before it spirals into something we cannot control. So many wars have begun with seemingly small actions at sea, where decisionmakers incorrectly assume the stakes are lower because land territory isn’t immediately involved. The lesson of the Gulf of Tonkin is unfortunately instructive here. Nobody had heard of that body of water either — until it pulled the United States into the war in Vietnam. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5463988/russia-ukraine-trump-putin-g20/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5463988/russia-ukraine-trump-putin-g20/"},"headline":"President Trump Could Help Stop a War Between Russia and Ukraine — But Only If He Will Stand Up to Putin","datePublished":"2018-11-26T23:16:36.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T11:49:03.222Z","description":"The President needs to speak strongly, without making the conflict about the U.S.","url":"https://time.com/5463988/russia-ukraine-trump-putin-g20/","keywords":["World","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt877564bf215fe429/69893ff722fb85a73be27424/ukraine-russia-navy-nato.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"James Stavridis","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/james-stavridis/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt877564bf215fe429/69893ff722fb85a73be27424/ukraine-russia-navy-nato.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"ukraine-russia-navy-nato","caption":"Ukrainian Navy ships tugged to Kerch Seaport","creditText":"TASS/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5463988/russia-ukraine-trump-putin-g20/","name":"President Trump Could Help Stop a War Between Russia and Ukraine — But Only If He Will Stand Up to Putin"}}]}] ```