Geopolitics Q&A with Anthony Constantini
Editorial Team
May 31, 2025
Welcome to an Upward News Q&A with our foreign affairs editor, Anthony Constantini.
Anthony is what we would consider a geopolitics expert. He’s been covering foreign affairs with Upward News for years and has been published in countless outlets, with his work catching the attention of leaders both in the US and abroad.
If you’re not a member of Upward News, we highly suggest signing up so that you can read all of the Q&A! Now, let’s dive into your questions.
Q: It appears Vladimir Putin is basically ignoring President Trump regarding peace with Ukraine. Does Trump have any leverage to force Putin to come to the table? Or have we been prepared by VP Vance to walk away? — David
A: This is a good one to start off with, as we touch on this a bit in today’s article. In short: yes, Trump still has leverage. The biggest piece of leverage right now is a bill pending in the Senate, which would tariff any country, at an astronomical 500 percent rate, that buys Russian oil. Without oil sales, Russia’s economy will likely collapse.
That said, I absolutely think that Vice President Vance and Secretary Rubio have been laying the groundwork for the United States to simply wash our hands of the conflict. We’ll probably know in the next few months whether that happens or not, as it’s unlikely President Trump wants this war to hang over the entirety of his term.
Q: Is President Trump pressuring Israeli PM Netanyahu to cease and desist the war with Hamas? — Karla
A: No one can know for sure exactly what goes on in the room where it happens. That said, it seems clear to me that President Trump is pressuring Netanyahu to find a way to end the conflict. Like the Russo-Ukrainian War, Trump really does not want this war to drag on as he tries to make peace in the Middle East and shift America’s focus to Asia.
I think that the idea that the administration has become actively anti-Israel is a misnomer; when things looked rocky between the US and Ukraine, for example, America stopped intelligence sharing and stopped military shipments. That hasn’t even been discussed here at all.
However, the Trump administration is definitely striking a more nuanced tone than Israeli officials thought it would upon taking office.
Q: If Israel attacks Iran's nuclear facility, how do you feel this will play out with respect to peace in the Middle East? — Kathryn