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US President Trump has said he had a “lengthy and productive” phone call to Russian president Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, in a surprise move to bridge the gap between the two nations. Putin had previously been considered an international pariah after his invasion of Ukraine almost three years ago. This move is undoubtedly worrying to President Zelensky of Ukraine, who has reiterated that Ukraine “will not be able to accept any agreements” regarding peace without the country’s own involvement.
Trump has expressed a desire to continue negotiations with Putin, suggesting that he wants the two countries to continue to “work together, very closely”. This bilateral phone call, separate of oversight from European nations or Ukraine itself, provokes important questions. It certainly suggests Trump may intend to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine over the heads of Kyiv and Brussels. His commitment to negotiation so far is already a significant departure from the views of his predecessor, Joe Biden, who referred to Putin as a “murderous dictator” and a “pure thug”.
Ukraine remains in a precarious position internationally, with Trump’s defence secretary Pete Hegseth calling on European NATO members to contribute more military funding to Ukraine, suggesting the US intends to reduce spending there. Hegseth also asserted it is unlikely that Ukraine will join NATO. All this subtly signals to Putin that international support, or at least support from the US, is waning. This may empower Putin to choose more aggressive and expansionist strategies in the future, as it is clear Ukraine relies, to a significant extent, on US military funding. It is undoubtedly not a beneficial rhetoric for Zelensky or Ukrainian morale, and highlights the hollow nature of the Western promise to keep aid going for Ukraine “as long as it takes”.
It seems Trump is likely preoccupied with other issues, such as focusing on tariffs, securing the Southern US border, and relations with China. Ukraine, Trump appears to believe, is Europe’s problem. It also signals a further departure from the perception of Europe by US officials as a valuable or important ally, aligning with Trump’s previous isolationist strategy. America first seemingly applies to foreign policy too.
For Ukraine, this is certainly a dark day. Dreams of a future free of Russian aggression, NATO membership, or a return to pre-2014 borders, have been dashed. Trump’s lukewarm assertion that he will “probably” meet with the Ukrainian leader soon will be doing nothing for Zelensky’s fears of Western abandonment.
Image: Blue and Yellow Hand Painting, Elena Mozhvilo, 2019 // Unsplash Content License
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