The United States has recently made a significant decision to halt intelligence sharing and military aid to Kyiv, a move that has been met with stark criticism and likened to "beating a farm animal with a piece of wood" by Keith Kellogg, the White House's special envoy for Ukraine and Russia. This shift marks a drastic change in the relationship between the US and Ukraine, following a summit between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. For three years, Washington has extended considerable financial and military support to Ukraine to aid its fight, but recent developments signal a potential realignment of US policy interests, casting the conflict as a "war between Russia and the collective west."
President Trump aims to position the US as a neutral arbiter between Russia and Ukraine, recognizing the need to "reset relations with Russia" for national security purposes. This strategic pivot has sidelined some of the strongest proponents of Ukraine within the administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz, and Kellogg himself. As a result, these individuals have grown skeptical of continued US support for Ukraine.
The collapse in US-Ukraine relations has been precipitous since the summit at the White House. Ukrainian officials now find themselves with limited options except to make amends. JD Vance, the Vice-President, played a role in escalating tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy by seizing his moment in the Oval Office. Zelenskyy ignored advice from Kellogg, Republican senators, and others not to clash with Trump during their meeting.
“Very candidly, they brought it on themselves, the Ukrainians,” – Keith Kellogg
The path forward remains unclear, although both pro-Ukraine Americans and European officials believe that there is no substitute for US support in the conflict. European officials express hope that Zelenskyy and Trump officials can convene without open conflict, particularly at an upcoming meeting in Saudi Arabia aimed at mending relations. Interestingly, Kellogg was excluded from this key summit.
“First Zelenskyy needs to keep silent in public about concerns with Trump’s policy moves, even though those concerns are justified,” – JD Vance
In recent years, there has been a noticeable rise in individuals around Trump who hold vocally Eurosceptic views. Notable figures include Elon Musk, Tucker Carlson, and JD Vance. These voices have contributed to shaping the administration's stance on foreign policy matters, including the ongoing conflict.
“Frankly, it’s a proxy war between nuclear powers – the United States, helping Ukraine, and Russia – and it needs to come to an end.” – Marco Rubio
Trump's administration has adopted some of Russia's perspectives on the war, with officials echoing Kremlin talking points. Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, highlighted this alignment:
“We can and want to agree with it, and we agree with it. That’s the way it is. We have said this repeatedly. We have said that this is actually a conflict between Russia and the collective west. And the main country of the collective west is the United States of America.” – Dmitry Peskov
Zelenskyy faces pressure from various quarters to adjust his approach. JD Vance suggested that Zelenskyy refrain from public criticism of Trump's policies and consider lowering his representation at diplomatic meetings.
“It would be good for him to send a team to the meeting in Riyadh which is not at his level. I think he needs to sign the mineral agreement in any form that the Trump administration wants.” – JD Vance