The United States and Europe are experiencing a deepening diplomatic rift over Ukraine as U.S. President Donald Trump's unilateral overtures to Russian President Vladimir Putin have sparked alarm among NATO allies and raised questions about the future of Western unity.
On Wednesday, Trump announced that he held a \"lengthy and highly productive\" call with Putin to discuss ending the three-year conflict in Ukraine, characterizing it as the start of negotiations to halt \"massive, unnecessary death and destruction.\"
Notably absent from his remarks was any mention of Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy or European leaders, whom Trump has repeatedly criticized for insufficient defense spending. The call was followed by a conversation with Zelenskyy, who acknowledged the discussion but stressed that Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity were \"nonnegotiable.\"
European leaders, caught off guard by Trump's phone call with Putin, fear a U.S.-brokered deal could sideline Ukraine and weaken Europe's security framework, marking a stark departure from the Biden administration's staunch support for Kyiv.
Trump's move came hours after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a blunt message to NATO allies in Brussels: Ukraine's aspirations to reclaim territories lost since 2014 or join NATO were \"unrealistic,\" and Europe must shoulder the burden of enforcing any peace deal. Hegseth's remarks have fueled accusations that the administration is pressuring Kyiv into concessions while absolving Washington of long-term responsibilities.
\"Any deal behind our backs will not work,\" warned EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who criticized the Trump administration for offering premature concessions to Moscow, including ruling out Ukraine's NATO membership before talks even begin. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius echoed concerns, stating that excluding Europe from negotiations would ignore its role as the primary funder of Ukraine's defense and the region most affected by the conflict's outcome.
European powers, including Britain, France, and Germany, on Wednesday issued a joint statement insisting that \"Ukraine and Europe must be part of any negotiations.\" In an interview with CNN, Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene underscored Europe's financial contributions, noting that European nations provided $125 billion in aid to Ukraine in 2024 compared to America's $88 billion, adding, \"We earned a place at the table.\"
While Zelenskyy publicly expressed optimism about U.S. involvement, Ukrainian officials are concerned about the risk of being forced into a disadvantageous settlement. In an interview with CNBC, Yuriy Sak, an advisor to Ukraine's Ministry of Strategic Industries, admitted that NATO membership is now \"difficult, if not impossible,\" but stressed the need for \"substantial security guarantees\" from Washington.
Another point of contention is Trump's intensified efforts to link U.S. military aid to Ukraine with access to the country's vast mineral resources, framing it as an arrangement to recoup American investments in providing military aid to Kyiv. Though Zelenskyy has cautiously embraced the proposal, viewing it as a lifeline to sustain U.S. backing, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has lambasted Trump's conditional aid strategy as \"very selfish.\"
Moscow, for its part, has framed the dialogue with Trump as a pragmatic step toward addressing what it views as the root causes of the conflict. Putin has consistently emphasized Russia's security concerns, particularly NATO's eastward expansion, which he argues threatens Russia's strategic interests. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated that any sustainable resolution must address these \"root causes,\" including Ukraine's neutrality and recognition of Russia's sovereignty over Crimea and the Donbas region. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov downplayed European anxieties, characterizing Trump's outreach as a normal conversation between \"two polite, educated people\" and dismissing EU leaders' shock as overblown.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
