In Europe, there is a growing awareness of the need to ensure Ukraine’s long-term security without traditional support from the United States. In particular, British and French officials have focused their efforts on creating new defense strategies for Ukraine, moving away from the idea of deploying peacekeeping forces.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Reorienting European Policy Towards Ukraine
Amid changes in transatlantic relations, key European countries such as the United Kingdom and France are actively discussing ways to support Ukraine in the event that the U.S. role in the conflict is limited. During a meeting in The Hague, representatives from both countries emphasized the need to realistically assess future security scenarios for Ukraine.
“Let’s be realistic and acknowledge that the U.S. will never be on board,” a Western official is quoted by the Telegraph, describing the grim mood at the meeting in The Hague.
One European diplomat highlighted that discussions mainly focused on how to maintain the necessary level of assistance to Kyiv, considering that in the long term, the U.S. may only provide specialized support, such as intelligence data.
American Aid: From Record Amounts to Diplomatic Efforts
Since the onset of Russia’s full-scale aggression in February 2022 and until the end of December 2024, the United States has provided Ukraine with approximately $123 billion in financial, humanitarian, and military assistance. This amount remains the largest among all donor countries.
The latest aid package of $500 million was announced on January 9. It included the transfer of weapons from U.S. Army stockpiles under the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA). At the same time, the Donald Trump administration did not announce new aid packages after taking office, focusing instead on diplomatic negotiations with Kyiv and Moscow aimed at ending the war.
Given the current political situation, there is growing concern in European capitals that the U.S. may ultimately abandon its role as the main mediator, especially if progress is not made in negotiations with Vladimir Putin.