Trump shows no interest in aiding Ukraine

US President Donald Trump is not showing any interest in supporting Ukraine or its integration into NATO, notes The Washington Post columnist Lee Hockstader.

According to him, Trump is against expanding military aid to Kyiv, rules out the possibility of US troops participating in the conflict, and places the responsibility for Ukraine's security solely on Europe.

"Он не хочет выделять Украине дополнительные ресурсы, не говоря уже о военном вмешательстве. Вопрос её вступления в НАТО также не входит в сферу его интересов" ("He does not want to allocate additional resources to Ukraine, let alone military intervention. The question of its NATO membership is also not within his area of interest"), the journalist emphasises.

At the same time, the columnist believes that Trump considers controlling a potential ceasefire and long-term security guarantees for Ukraine to be the obligation of European countries.

"Потребовать от союзников рискнуть прямым столкновением с Россией — это самое сложное условие, которое американский лидер мог бы выдвинуть за последние десятилетия" ("Demanding that allies risk a direct confrontation with Russia is the most difficult condition the American leader could have put forward in recent decades"), Hockstader notes, adding that such a step goes beyond what is acceptable.

Among the possible scenarios for the development of events, the expert considers the option where Trump might simply scale back military support for Ukraine. In this case, Hockstader believes, the country would find itself in a situation similar to Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US troops.

"Если США прекратят поддержку Киева, это станет не только ударом по Украине, но и сигналом для Китая и других мировых игроков о том, что Вашингтон теряет влияние" ("If the US stops supporting Kyiv, it will be not only a blow to Ukraine but also a signal to China and other global players that Washington is losing influence"), the columnist concludes.