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Editorial

Trump’s promises

Even after all the alarming antics former president Donald Trump has engaged in over the past decade, it was jarring to learn what he said to about two dozen oil company executives at an April 11 dinner in his Palm Beach, Fla., mansion, Mar-a-Lago. As The Post reported, Mr. Trump responded to one executive’s complaint about the burdensome regulations the industry faces under President Biden, despite spending $400 million on lobbying against them. He told them they should instead donate $1 billion to his presidential election campaign, in return for which they would get lighter ...

Ukraine allies focus

Antony Blinken’s unannounced visit to Kyiv on Tuesday was a welcome and timely show of support. It was the US secretary of state’s first trip to Ukraine since America belatedly signed off on a $61bn aid package last month, allowing a desperately needed supply of new arms to finally flow to troops in the east. As Mr Blinken met President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the capital, events continued to underline how urgently such assistance – and much more of the same – is required. The ultimate scope of Russia’s significant offensive in the Kharkiv region is yet to become clear. In part ...

Trump’s Veep choice

Donald Trump is doing his “Apprentice” thing and publicly auditioning candidates for Vice President. One exception: Nikki Haley is nowhere to be found. No sooner did Axios report that Ms. Haley was being considered than Mr. Trump issued a personal statement this weekend that she’s out of the running. Mr. Trump at least said he wishes her well, but rejecting her doesn’t solve his main campaign problem of appealing to Haley voters. Vice Presidents are rarely decisive in presidential elections, but they can matter for governing and the country’s future. This year the VP choice ...

Ukraine allies focus

Antony Blinken’s unannounced visit to Kyiv on Tuesday was a welcome and timely show of support. It was the US secretary of state’s first trip to Ukraine since America belatedly signed off on a $61bn aid package last month, allowing a desperately needed supply of new arms to finally flow to troops in the east. As Mr Blinken met President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the capital, events continued to underline how urgently such assistance – and much more of the same – is required. The ultimate scope of Russia’s significant offensive in the Kharkiv region is yet to become clear. In ...

Transnational dissidents

Forty-five years ago, the Bulgarian dissident Georgi Markov was killed in London with a poison-tipped umbrella as he made his way home from work. The horrifying case transfixed the British public. So transnational repression is not new, including on British shores. But unless its target is unusually high-profile, or it uses startling tactics such as those employed by Markov’s killers – or in the attempt to assassinate Sergei Skripal – much of it passes with minimal attention. For political opponents, journalists, civil society activists and others, fleeing their homeland may ...

Reclassifying marijuana

The April 30 news that the Justice Department plans to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug is most welcome. But very, very late in coming. President Biden promised during the 2020 presidential campaign that he would decriminalize cannabis. Moving the substance from Schedule I, for the most dangerous and abused drugs, to Schedule III as the DOJ proposes, wouldn’t go that far, but it would be a meaningful step in the right direction. It’s still far too little. Americans have scoffed at marijuana prohibitions for decades, recognizing the race and class bigotry inherent in ...