Ukraine and Europe fear that Donald Trump will use the slight progress in negotiations as an excuse to exit the settlement process, even if this progress does not contribute to a long-term resolution of the conflict, writes Financial Times.
According to one European official, the American president «creates a situation in which he gives himself a reason to leave and leave Ukraine and us [Europe] to fix the situation». According to the publication's interlocutors, Trump's reluctance to overestimate his «commitment» to a peace agreement was forced by Vladimir Putin's unwillingness to agree to key demands from Ukraine and the US, such as maintaining the size of the Ukrainian Armed Forces after the war.
«In Ukraine, there are serious concerns that Trump may abandon negotiations on a ceasefire. The worst thing that can happen in US-Ukraine relations is when Trump loses all interest in Ukraine. <...> Putin may perceive this as a silent US permission for war escalation», — stated FT Verkhovna Rada deputy Oleksandr Merezhko.