The Economist: Trump Is Panicking Over His Approval Ratings

• 23.10.2026, 17:28

Polls indicate a defeat for the Republicans.

The recent actions of U.S. President Donald Trump do not indicate an intention to force Ukraine to capitulate. The American leader has fallen victim to a “successful Russian information operation.” This is reported by The Economist reports, citing a source within the U.S. government.

According to the source, Trump panicked over the terrible poll results ahead of the midterm elections, and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a convenient scapegoat for him.

The publication also emphasizes that the U.S. president’s special envoys Steve Whitcoff and Jared Kushner mistakenly believe that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin’s motives are economic and territorial, rather than nationalistic. This makes them vulnerable to Russian manipulation.

“Trump is creating a terrible situation,” the publication quotes a former official as saying. But, according to him, the U.S. president is also “dependent on idiots.”

The article also outlines the main provisions of the peace plan: the U.S. has offered Russia a demilitarized zone in Donbas, the easing of sanctions, and the restart of the “Nord Stream” pipeline.

On October 18, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated in an interview with Bloomberg that Washington’s latest decisions are putting pressure on Kyiv to force it to agree to capitulate to Russia. He clarified that he is not claiming that American partners are deliberately seeking such an outcome, but their actions give precisely that impression.