The “Kyiv Independent” published an explosive interview on February 26 that torched any lingering doubt about President Donald Trump’s deep ties to Russian intelligence.

Veteran journalist Craig Unger has tracked Trump’s relationships with Moscow for years He laid out evidence that Trump was carefully groomed as a Russian asset beginning in the 1980s. Less than a week after the bombshell report, Trump used his platform at the United Nations to dismiss Ukraine’s pleas and embrace Vladimir Putin’s narrative on Eastern Europe.

His statements cemented the idea that a decades-long foreign plot had successfully infiltrated the Oval Office, transforming the United States into a vessel for Moscow’s ambitions.

Many Americans once dismissed reports of Trump’s ties to Russian intelligence as wild conspiracy theories. Yet Unger’s findings, presented in his books “House of Trump, House of Putin” and “American Kompromat,” outline a consistent chain of events stretching back more than 40 years.

Soviet operatives, later replaced by Russian oligarchs, funneled suspicious cash into Trump’s real estate deals and played upon his narcissistic vanity. Over time, the strategy shaped Trump’s worldview to align seamlessly with the Kremlin’s long-term interests. Today, Russia reaps enormous gains as the White House methodically undermines Western unity, weakening NATO, and eroding confidence among America’s most vital allies.

The pattern was on full display during Trump’s U.N. address, where he castigated Ukraine for “bringing its troubles on itself” and chided Europe for failing to “handle its own backyard.”

In those remarks, he reversed decades of bipartisan consensus that the United States should confront unprovoked aggression in Europe. Instead of backing a nation under siege, Trump effectively blamed Kyiv’s government for the devastation wrought by Russian firepower.

Putin’s state media wasted no time broadcasting those segments, painting the U.S. president as an enlightened leader who recognizes the Kremlin’s alleged right to expand its sphere of influence.

Unger’s new revelations sent shockwaves through Washington circles. Once portrayed by supporters as a patriotic firebrand, Trump now looks more like a Trojan horse carefully cultivated by Russian intelligence. The journalist’s interview with the Kyiv Independent highlighted key phases of infiltration: financial bailouts for Trump when U.S. banks shunned him, orchestrated praise from Russian figures, and direct contact with individuals linked to the KGB’s successor services.

The result, Unger insisted, was a president whose foreign policy systematically furthers Moscow’s objectives — even if he never receives direct orders. In intelligence parlance, that is the very definition of an “asset.”

Those who scoff at the notion that a sitting U.S. president could be co-opted by a foreign power willfully ignore reams of evidence. Unger references KGB files showing that Soviet handlers identified Trump’s egotism and business desperation as exploitable weaknesses. They recognized that lavish deals, flattery, and carefully timed loans could bind him to Russian interests.

Over years of cultivation, Trump’s rhetoric began mirroring Kremlin talking points. Long before entering politics, he spoke out against NATO commitments and questioned the American security umbrella in Europe—positions that conveniently echo Russia’s longstanding wish to fracture Western alliances.

Detractors claim that the absence of a “smoking gun,” like an intercepted phone call ordering Trump to betray U.S. interests, proves the idea of infiltration is overblown. But Unger stressed that cultivated assets often act without needing explicit direction.

The entire purpose of infiltration is to shape an individual’s motivations so thoroughly that the foreign power’s aims are served voluntarily. Soviet and Russian operatives bank on personality traits — narcissism, avarice, thirst for adulation — to build loyalty over time.

According to Unger, Trump is the perfect case study: a vain businessman turned politician who lavishes praise on Putin and habitually scorns U.S. allies, all while calling it “America First.”

Nowhere is this alignment clearer than in Trump’s shameful treatment of Ukraine. Since retaking office on January 20, 2025, he has refused to provide meaningful assistance to a nation besieged by a Russian military onslaught that has reduced entire cities to rubble.

At the U.N., he shrugged off Ukraine’s calls for help as “expensive distractions,” effectively telling the world that the Kremlin’s aggression is not America’s concern. That abrupt departure from decades of American leadership has not only weakened the West’s response to Russia but also undermined the morale of smaller nations that rely on American support to repel authoritarian threats.

Unger’s account of infiltration also exposes how Trump’s financial entanglements laid the groundwork for this betrayal. In the 1980s, as Trump struggled with debt from failing casinos and overextended real estate ventures, Soviet-linked financiers appeared, flush with cash.

Deals involving Trump Tower properties drew in shadowy buyers connected to Russian organized crime and intelligence fronts. Even when Western banks deemed him too risky, new Russian-linked money never seemed to dry up. Each transaction pulled him closer into Moscow’s orbit.

By the time the Soviet Union collapsed, Russian oligarchs kept the pipeline open, ensuring that Trump’s business empire would survive—and remain beholden to foreign backers whose first loyalty was to the Kremlin.

Proponents of Trump’s agenda offer contrived rationalizations for his U.N. address and broader approach to Russia. They argue that he is simply refusing to drag the United States into another conflict or that he seeks to avoid inflaming tensions unnecessarily.

Unger flatly rejected those excuses, pointing to the president’s consistent pattern of belittling European allies and praising Putin’s strongman style. True neutrality, Unger insisted, would involve condemning naked aggression or at least acknowledging that Russia has invaded a sovereign nation.

But Trump’s stance erases the distinction between aggressor and victim, framing the conflict as a local dispute that does not warrant American involvement. In reality, that is precisely the scenario Kremlin strategists have wanted for decades: a complacent United States that leaves Eastern Europe open to Russian domination.

Even more galling is the response from Republican lawmakers who once championed a firm stance against authoritarian regimes. Many of those officials now bleat about “endless wars” and “fiscal responsibility,” parroting the president’s lines to avoid his wrath.

Their silence in the face of blatant Russian aggression is nothing short of betrayal. Only a handful of voices, labeled traitors by the MAGA faithful, have dared to call out Trump’s subservience to Moscow.

Meanwhile, the majority of Republicans cower in lockstep, enabling a hostile power to shape U.S. foreign policy. This acquiescence marks a stark reversal of what the party once stood for, revealing how fear of Trump’s political machine has trumped any commitment to the national interest.

Among the most disturbing elements of Unger’s interview was the clarity it brought to the distinction between an “asset” and an “agent.”

An agent receives directives and passes information in cloak-and-dagger fashion, while an asset can operate in plain sight, simply pursuing a course of action that aligns with the foreign power’s aims.

Trump’s consistent efforts to demean NATO, degrade confidence in American intelligence agencies, and embrace Putin’s perspective are exactly what Moscow desires. Whether he consciously recognizes the manipulations that shaped his rise or remain in willful ignorance does not diminish the fact that his decisions align perfectly with a dictator’s agenda.

Trump’s second presidency has magnified those dangers by purging officials who once resisted his authoritarian impulses. Key positions in the intelligence community and the military are now staffed by Trump loyalists who share his contempt for traditional alliances.

The consolidation of power amplifies the Kremlin’s hold on U.S. policy. Officials who try to highlight Russian threats are marginalized or forced out, ensuring the administration’s foreign policy stays friendly to Moscow. The result is a government apparatus that punishes dissent and rewards toadyism — yet another hallmark of infiltration’s success.

The real victims of this infiltration, Unger warned, are the Ukrainian people left to confront Russia’s onslaught alone. Each day, more civilians are displaced by bombings, more buildings lie in ruins, and more families despair that the so-called leader of the free world is siding with their oppressor.

By trivializing Ukraine’s suffering, the White House signals to other budding autocrats that they too can expand territory or crush dissent without fear of a meaningful American response. It invites a new age of brute force, where might makes right and smaller democracies are left vulnerable.

Unger’s revelations also spark alarm among America’s closest allies, who question whether the United States can still be trusted to honor security commitments. NATO members watch nervously as Trump undermines the alliance from within, echoing Putin’s favorite line that it is an obsolete relic of the Cold War.

Countries once reliant on American leadership in crises now look for alternatives, unsure if the president will stand by them or accuse them of free-riding. This growing doubt fractures the bedrock of post–World War II order, fulfilling the Kremlin’s longtime dream of splintering Western power.

European leaders have expressed horror at Trump’s depiction of Ukraine’s ordeal as “self-inflicted” and “not our problem.” Heads of state who once saw the White House as a bulwark against tyranny now confront an American president who disparages refugees fleeing Russian artillery.

The moral authority the United States once wielded has evaporated under a barrage of pro-Putin pronouncements. By handing the Kremlin a propaganda coup at every turn, Trump proves that infiltration is more effective than any clandestine spy ring could ever hope to be.

Unger’s critics may question the authenticity of KGB files or the credibility of ex-intelligence sources. Yet the facts stand: Trump’s policy choices perfectly match Russia’s strategic aims.

When forced to decide between supporting a free nation under assault and backing a dictator who invades neighbors, he sides with the dictator. In every rhetorical clash between NATO’s collective defense and Putin’s calls for a Russian sphere of influence, Trump parrots the Kremlin’s line that Europe must fend for itself.

At the U.N. he hammered the final nail, condemning Ukrainian leaders for daring to fight back, as though self-defense were a provocation. That is infiltration at its purest — a powerful figure systematically applying the foreign power’s narrative to sabotage international unity.

The final outcome of this infiltration, Unger warned, could be catastrophic. With Washington paralyzed by a leader who saw American alliances as a burden, authoritarian regimes around the globe would grow bolder.

China, Iran, and other nations hostile to U.S. interests test boundaries, guessing—correctly—that Trump’s White House will do little more than issue toothless statements. Domestic institutions, already weakened by Trump’s vendetta against the press and independent agencies, may soon lack the strength to correct course.

That is the enduring price of infiltration: it corrodes from within, altering fundamental values so thoroughly that the nation’s founding ideals of liberty and solidarity become afterthoughts.

The direct beneficiaries of this infiltration are not American workers or taxpayers but the band of oligarchs and Kremlin insiders who financed Trump’s ventures. They enjoy a front-row seat as the president lambastes NATO, slashes foreign aid, and refuses to confront Putin’s war crimes.

Each new wave of White House justifications for Russia’s aggression reinforces the investment they made decades ago. Many of these oligarchs hold deep ties to criminal networks that launder money through international real estate.

Trump’s brand, once a staple of Manhattan glitz, thrives on the same flow of dirty cash that props up corrupt regimes. This mutual dependence ensures that every time the president opens his mouth to castigate NATO or undermine Ukraine, the Kremlin’s circle sees a return on its infiltration.

The infiltration exposed by Unger does not hinge on ephemeral policies but on a corrupt bond forged years ago. Countless citizens wonder how it is possible that the occupant of the White House actively sides against a sovereign nation fighting for its survival.

Unger’s work explained it clearly: from the moment Trump accepted Soviet and Russian favors, he was nudged down a path that led to unconditional fealty to Putin’s worldview. Now, as commander in chief, he echoes anti-Western rhetoric once confined to Russian state propaganda outlets.

The betrayal of Ukraine is not just a foreign policy gaffe. It is the centerpiece of a long-running scheme to dismantle American credibility and reorder the global balance of power. Unger emphasized that infiltration flourishes when the public is lulled by excuses like “He’s just putting America First” or “He’s avoiding unnecessary wars.”

In reality, no one preaching genuine American interests would systematically belittle NATO allies, ridicule intelligence warnings, or abandon smaller democracies to a rampaging invader. Each of these steps represents a victory for the infiltration project: a demonstration that the White House itself can be used to destroy the alliances that once safeguarded the free world.

Despite the toxic fallout, Trump’s base appears unmoved by evidence of infiltration. They disregard Unger’s findings as media fabrications. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials release daily images of children hiding in basements, their homes reduced to rubble by Russian forces that the U.S. president refuses to oppose.

Such a callous spectacle cements the notion that infiltration has hollowed out whatever moral standing America once held. Allies watch in shock as a historically influential nation abandons its responsibilities, cutting Ukraine adrift in its darkest hour.

No amount of rhetorical spin can obscure the core truth. Infiltration is not about stolen documents or Hollywood-style spy rings. It is about a slow, methodical erosion of a leader’s principles, bending his decisions to align with a foreign agenda.

That agenda, advanced by years of flattery and covert investment, has borne fruit at the U.N., where Trump openly forsook a battered democracy in favor of rationalizing Russian aggression. Unger’s revelations leave little room for denial. The occupant of the Oval Office is compromised at the highest level, and the cost is measured in shattered trust, broken alliances, and innocent lives devastated in Ukraine.

Unger’s ultimate message for America was unsparing: either Americans confront the infiltration or accept the collapse of the world order they spent decades building. The infiltration’s success echoes through every speech Trump gives that mocks allied security concerns and downplays Putin’s malevolence.

As Eastern Europe slides into a new era of fear and uncertainty, the White House steadfastly follows a path paved by Russian strategists who once roamed the halls of the KGB. If Americans remain willfully ignorant, they willingly cede global leadership to tyrants, ensuring that infiltration triumphs over the very ideals the United States once championed.