Trump urges western allies to reassess Ukraine strategy
President-elect Donald Trump has already begun discussions with Western leaders about ending the war in Ukraine. They have heard from him that he intends to apply pressure not only on Ukraine but also the Russian leader, reports Bloomberg.
According to Bloomberg, Trump has already initiated his first phone calls with European leaders. During one of these calls, his potential approach to negotiations with Putin was discussed.
Trump plans to pressure Putin
According to a senior official who spoke with the agency, Trump indicated that he realises he cannot just pressure Ukraine to make concessions to Putin without gaining anything in return. Bloomberg reached out to Trump's spokesperson for comment on these statements.
Orban on funding the "lost war"
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, host of the summit and Trump's biggest supporter in Europe, stated that it remains an "open question" whether the US and the EU will implement the latest aid package worth approximately €50 billion.
In a radio interview on Friday, Orban said that Europe cannot finance the "lost" war on its own and suggested that the US might withdraw its support. However, it is important to note that Orban is opposed to aid for Kyiv and has close ties with Putin.
The European Union is considering a "Plan B"
European Union leaders are trying to determine whether they will be able to sustain Ukraine's war efforts if Donald Trump decides to cut US support. During a meeting in Budapest on Thursday, discussions were held on whether the EU would be ready to bear the costs of the war. There is concern that Trump might want to shift the financial burden to Europe, although so far there are no indications of drastic changes.
Some European leaders believe that Europe should wait until Trump's inauguration in January to understand his intentions towards Ukraine. However, others argue that the EU cannot afford such a luxury, and the European Commission should already be developing action proposals in case of a US aid cutoff.
According to some European officials, the problem is not the funds themselves but the availability of military resources, which largely came from the US. The United States provided Ukraine with key weapons, such as F-16s and long-range ATACMS missiles, allowing attacks on Russian targets behind front lines. American production capacity is also crucial for ensuring supplies of 155 mm shells, which form the backbone of Ukraine's defensive operations.
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to European leaders to maintain weapon supplies and avoid discussions of a ceasefire or concessions to Putin.
- If we talk about the possibility of peace today, it’s because the Ukrainians had extraordinary courage and because the West supported Ukraine. That said, we’ll see how the scenario evolves in the coming weeks, - said Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during the second day of talks on Friday. The EU was the largest supplier of aid to Ukraine. The total value of the support exceeded approximately €120 billion.
