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Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau made a blunt assessment on The Ingraham Angle this week, telling viewers that President Trump has “run out of patience” with Russia and is pressing hard to end the bloodshed in Ukraine. Landau framed the president’s posture as the hard-nosed diplomacy America needs after years of weak-kneed hand-wringing from the establishment press and career diplomats.
That rhetorical shift on the world stage didn’t come out of nowhere — President Trump has publicly signaled tougher moves toward Moscow, even suggesting Ukraine could reclaim lost territory with strong NATO and European backing. The president’s statements at the U.N. and in interviews show a leader pivoting from mere talk to the credible threat of real economic pressure, and that kind of leverage is exactly what can force negotiations that actually end a war.
Landau told Laura Ingraham the administration has tried the easy diplomatic route — even extending a hand to Putin — and only now is showing frustration because Russia has failed to reciprocate with a serious path to peace. That frankness from a senior State Department official is refreshing; America should not reward obstinance with silence or appeasement.
Let’s be clear: conservatives who warned about the perverse incentives of perpetual conflict were right to push for a deal that secures American interests without endless entanglement. President Trump’s willingness to use tariffs, sanctions, and economic tools as leverage demonstrates a disciplined, America-first approach to foreign policy that puts results ahead of a reflexive interventionism that has cost taxpayers dearly.
Christopher Landau’s elevation to Deputy Secretary of State gave the administration a steady hand who knows both the law and the levers of diplomacy, and his public comments underscore that this White House intends to pair muscle with negotiation. The confirmation and staffing choices in the State Department show this is a deliberate strategy, not a pie-in-the-sky media narrative.
Critics will howl that talking tough risks escalation, but the opposite is true: weakness invites aggression and rewards bad actors. For years the flip side of endless talk was inaction; now the administration is finally exerting real pressure on Russia to make a deal — and that pressure is the only thing that might actually save lives and protect European stability in the long run.
Americans should want a foreign policy that secures peace without surrendering strength, and Landau’s remarks are a welcome reminder that firm diplomacy and clear demands can break stalemates. If the president follows through with credible leverage and rallying allies to do their part, Washington can force meaningful concessions from Moscow instead of lecturing from a position of impotence.
