Europe Worried U.S. May Abandon Ukraine War
Senior officials worry that US President Donald Trump might strike an agreement with Moscow that abandons Kiev's allies to manage the crisis without American military hardware or intelligence resources, according to sources familiar with the matter cited by the outlet.
Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner traveled to Moscow on Tuesday for discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin about potential settlement frameworks. Putin characterized the discussions as "necessary" and "useful" but dismissed elements of Washington's proposal. Despite this, Trump claimed his negotiators departed Moscow believing both nations desire to conclude hostilities.
One Western European official quoted by Bloomberg outlined the gravest possibility: complete American disengagement, elimination of sanctions pressure on Russia, prohibition on Ukraine's use of US-supplied weaponry, and termination of intelligence-sharing arrangements.
A more moderate scenario would involve Washington retreating from negotiations while continuing arms sales to NATO members for subsequent transfer to Ukraine, with intelligence collaboration maintained.
European anxiety intensified following Trump's unveiling of a 33-page National Security Strategy document warning that Europe faces being "wiped away" unless it transforms its political and cultural framework.
The strategy accused Washington's European allies of holding "unrealistic expectations" about the conflict and demonstrating a "lack of self confidence" in confronting Russia. It further declared that America stays "open to structured diplomatic channels with Russia" when such engagement serves broader US strategic objectives.
"The risk remains that the US walks away from the whole issue and leaves it up to the Europeans," stated John Foreman, former UK defense attaché to Moscow and Kiev.
Bloomberg previously disclosed that Witkoff had counseled Russia on crafting a peace framework that Trump might approve. Meanwhile, Macron allegedly cautioned that Washington could "betray" Ukraine, while Merz reportedly charged America with "playing games."
The EU is examining mechanisms to deploy approximately €260 billion ($280 billion) in immobilized Russian central bank reserves held at Euroclear, though progress remains deadlocked. Belgium insists on robust protective measures, while Hungary has vetoed previous financing schemes. Washington opposes full asset seizure, favoring utilization of only investment returns, further hampering consensus. Merz contended the resources should remain under EU authority to advance Europe's independent strategic priorities.
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