Despite the fact that the current military and financial support for Ukraine, adopted in the last months of Joe Biden's presidency, is nearing completion, there are virtually no serious discussions in the White House and on Capitol Hill regarding a new aid package, writes The New York Times.
European officials say they have not even received guarantees that the United States will continue extensive intelligence sharing with Ukraine, which is a key factor in its ability to strike Russian troops and infrastructure.
The three-year close cooperation between Washington and Kyiv has been disrupted. According to former US National Security Council advisor on Russia, Fiona Hill, Trump seeks to establish direct interaction with Moscow, even if it means excluding Ukraine from the negotiation process.
At every step after Trump's inauguration, he or his national security aides made statements that played into Russia's hands: removing the issue of Ukraine's NATO membership from the agenda, repeatedly stating that Ukraine would have to cede territory, and even blaming Ukraine for the invasion itself.
On Friday, Trump suggested that the United States might withdraw from the conflict, similar to how they did after becoming disillusioned in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. «If for some reason one of the two sides makes the situation very complicated, we will just say: «You are fools, you are idiots, you are terrible people. And we will just take a pass. But hopefully, we won't have to do that», — Trump stated.
European officials familiar with the discussions held on Thursday in Paris involving Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff said that the United States has a serious ceasefire plan, and essentially it is the plan that Ukraine agreed to in mid-March. But the Russians are stalling, insisting on new conditions, including the «denazification» of the Ukrainian government.
Although it is difficult to decipher the administration's course of action, its direction seems clear, judging by public comments and conversations with European officials who are racing to figure out how to support Ukraine without Washington's help, writes NYT.
Some experts argue that even if Trump moves towards closer ties with Moscow, it is unlikely to work. They doubt that Putin is ready to limit his ties with China, Iran, and North Korea — countries that fuel military actions with technology, drones, and, in North Korea's case, troops.
«Even if Trump's overtures to Putin lead to a superficial thaw in US-Russia relations, Putin's fundamental distrust of the West will make genuine reconciliation impossible», — wrote Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia-Eurasia Center, in Foreign Affairs this week.
Photo: The New York Times