WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S.-Ukraine alliance is heading toward a possible breaking point, with Moscow bolstered by President Donald Trump. recent rejection of new sanctions against Russia and Kyiv undermined by satellite support disruptions for its drones during the war.
Trump’s relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has has always been a moving targetwhile the Republican president has often boasted of his relationship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. But relations between the United States and Ukraine appear to be at an all-time low, threatening to tip the scales of war in Russia’s favor and jeopardize U.S. security interests around the world.
“Right now, things look darker than ever when it comes to this administration’s policies toward Russia and Ukraine,” said John Herbst, a former ambassador to Ukraine under President George W. Bush and now a fellow at the Atlantic Council.
Trump was insult Zelensky for more than a week and is moving toward policies that benefit Putin, while Ukraine’s president said he feels betrayed and worries about his country’s future. But the American president can still turn to Zelensky – especially since he faces bipartisan outrage from lawmakers – which Trump has already done.
Trump celebrates defeated the Ukrainian leader in the Oval Office last year, warning him to “make a deal or we’re out.” Washington briefly suspended intelligence sharing. But Trump was praising Zelensky in July and said they “actually developed a good relationship.”
“Trump is a temperamental guy,” Herbst said. “He may wake up tomorrow morning, decide he’s done enough on this subject, and he might start leaning the other way.”
No one took responsibility for restrictions on satellites in Ukraine
Trump’s recent decisions have confounded experts and infuriated Democrats and some Republicans. crucial midterm elections in two weeks.
After the Wall Street Journal reported, Putin raised the prospect of meeting with Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to negotiate an end to the conflict. the war in UkraineTrump told reporters Monday that he was open to the idea, but expected it to focus on denuclearization efforts. When asked if he would be willing to negotiate an end to the war without Zelensky, Trump appeared to respond in the affirmative.
“I think it’s time for someone else to negotiate on behalf of Ukraine,” Trump said.
Trump decided on Friday to waive sanctions on Russia in a bill that Congress widely adopted to support Ukraine. Named for the late Republican senator from South Carolina. Lindsey Grahamthe legislation targeted the flow of financial resources fueling the Russian war.
The rebuke followed Trump’s announcement of a deal to import Russian diesel fuel as part of a long-term effort to curb high gas prices. The deal has been pilloried by Republicans and Democrats, who say it will help Russia without making a difference to global fuel prices, which are high mainly because of Trump’s war on Iran.
Then there were changes in SpaceX’s satellite support to the Ukrainian military, for which no one took responsibility.
Star Shield is a military-grade version of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service and the backbone of drone operations and communications in Ukraine. Zelensky says his country faces significant speed restrictions, so Ukrainian drones were unable to intercept Russian jet drones.
SpaceX chief Elon Musk, a Trump ally, said Starshield was controlled by the United States and that any limits were decided by the military and, ultimately, Trump. But Trump told reporters Friday that he had not ordered restrictions and doubted Musk would either.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday that Ukraine wanted access to Starshield but did not have it. On Monday, he said the Pentagon controls Starshield and that “Ukraine has taken advantage of it” and wants to expand its use to carry out attacks beyond its territory.
The U.S. military did not respond to questions about its involvement.
And while Russia has launched new attacks against Ukraine’s energy infrastructureZelensky said on Monday that Kyiv once again we received no early warning latest attacks from partners such as the United States
“Russia killed six people, including a mother and her child, just over a year old,” Zelensky said on X, adding that this is how “Russia reacts to lifting sanctions and reducing pressure.”
Trump and Rubio say Washington has continued to provide kyiv with intelligence that has helped Ukraine counter Russian attacks.
Experts say Trump is trying to appease Putin
Dan Fried, a former U.S. ambassador to Poland and assistant secretary of state for European affairs under Bush, said he was mystified by the Trump administration’s shifting positions on Ukraine.
Fried said he initially thought Trump’s diesel fuel announcement was intended to try to influence the midterm elections with lower fuel prices. But what happened next changed his mind.
“All of this seems designed to put pressure on Zelensky and curry favor with Putin,” said Fried, now a researcher at the Atlantic Council.
Fiona Hill, who was Trump’s Russia adviser on the National Security Council during his first term, said Trump may try to appease Putin, fearing that Russia could do more to support Iran.
Since Trump launched the war on Iran in February, Russia sent drones to Tehran and information that could help him hit American warshipsaircraft and other assets in the region.
“So maybe this is it: Putin is just demanding payback for not devastating Trump through Iran like he could by helping the Iranians,” said Hill, now a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.
Trump revealed his concerns Sunday on social media, saying: “Russia is doing very little, if anything, to help the Islamic Republic of Iran, compared to what it could do, and I want to keep it that way, and I will, unless stupid people object.” »
Critics multiply in Congress
One factor that could push Trump toward a détente with Zelensky is the cascade of criticism from Republicans. They are faced with a wave of A democratic momentum in the latter part of the midterms, which will determine control of Congress.
Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, a moderate Republican in a competitive race, is calling for congressional hearings into the Starshield disruptions and “immediate, severe and punitive budget cuts to any responsible agency or agency head.”
Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal said on
Zelensky, in a video of the briefing posted online, also noted that Ukraine has “almost no more Patriot interceptors from the United States” and claimed that “the Pentagon is delaying the delivery of missiles that our partners have already paid for.”
Mississippi Republican Sen. Roger Wicker, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, urged Trump to honor Zelensky’s pledge to end attacks on Russian energy infrastructure in exchange for U.S. help stopping Russian missiles.
“President Trump can lower prices at the pump today by simply agreeing to this deal!” » Wicker posted on X.
Regardless of which political party controls Congress next year, lawmakers will likely revolt if Trump strikes a deal with Russia and China over Ukraine, said Fried, the former ambassador to Poland.
“It is clear that we have considerable influence over Putin,” he said, “but it is also clear that we are not using it. It is a disaster.”
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Associated Press writers Lynn Berry and Seung Min Kim contributed to this report.
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