The United States Turns Its Back on Zelensky, Opens Its Arms to Putin
Top officials from the US, on the left, and Russia, on the right, met in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss a path toward normalizing relations. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud and National Security Advisor Mosaad bin Mohammad al-Aiban hosted the discussion. Source: Evelyn Hockstein / AFP
The historically tense relationship between the United States and Russia has seemingly taken a turn toward camaraderie in recent weeks. Top Russian and US officials met in Saudi Arabia on February 18 to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine and agreed to work toward restoring diplomatic relations. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, or any representative from Ukraine for that matter, was not offered a seat at the negotiating table, suggesting a rift between Zelensky and President Donald Trump.
The Trump administration has suddenly turned away from supporting Ukraine, which the President incorrectly claimed cost the United States $350 billion since Russia’s 2022 invasion. Trump’s rhetoric toward Zelensky has also become increasingly hostile. He recently called the Ukrainian president a dictator and blamed Ukraine for starting the war, which is untrue.
Zelensky’s White House visit on February 28, more than a week after the Saudi Arabia talks, exploded into a shouting match. Vice President JD Vance stoked the flames by calling Zelensky ungrateful for US assistance, and Trump took to his Truth Social account after the meeting to call the Ukrainian leader disrespectful and “not ready for Peace if America is involved.”
Three days after the Oval Office confrontation, Trump paused US military aid to Ukraine. Soon after, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz announced that intelligence sharing is also on pause. This strongarming is seemingly working; Zelensky posted on X, calling the meeting “regrettable” and emphasizing Ukraine’s willingness to negotiate with Russia.
Alongside this newfound animosity toward Ukraine, the Trump administration has signaled its willingness to work with Moscow on a deal to end the war. Some onlookers, especially key US allies in Europe, worry that this deal will favor the Russians, a notion all-but-confirmed when Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth asserted that “returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic objective.”
The European Union (EU), meanwhile, has maintained its hardline stance on the conflict. The EU just approved a new sanctions package against Russia on the three-year anniversary of the Ukraine invasion. But as the Europeans double down on their denunciation of the Kremlin’s war, the United States has moved away from labeling Vladimir Putin as the outright aggressor.
At a United Nations General Assembly emergency special session, the United States introduced a resolution that refused to identify the Kremlin as the instigator of the conflict. The US-submitted draft was rejected, and American diplomats joined Russia in voting against a Ukrainian resolution.
Trump’s shifting loyalties mark the US president's aim to bring Europe’s deadliest conflict since World War II to a swift end, one of his pre-presidency promises. On the campaign trail, Trump promised to settle the war before arriving at the Oval Office, and, while he evidently failed to fulfill this vow, the President is eager to sign an agreement with Putin to put a stop to the fighting.
Putin, speaking at a meeting of Russia’s intelligence agency, praised the Trump administration for “discarding many stereotypes, so-called ‘rules’ and messianic, ideological clichés of their predecessors.” The two leaders, however, have yet to meet face-to-face. In a state television broadcast, Putin also said he and Trump have not discussed ending the war in detail, nor did the officials in Saudi Arabia.
As Trump turns his back to Zelensky, European leaders are weighing the potential danger to the continent without US assistance. The threat of reduced — or entirely terminated — US support has motivated EU leaders to prioritize defense. A proposed “REARM Europe” package would commit more than $800 billion to reinforcing EU nations’ militaries. The president of the European Parliament said “it is about damn time” for the EU to increase its defense spending.
Still, US assistance to Ukraine remains on pause. Ukraine is wary that a Trump-backed ceasefire will favor Moscow, yet Kyiv desperately needs American military aid to keep up with drone-dominant warfare. Putin seems to be getting his way, at least for now, as the Trump administration reportedly considers sanctions relief in its attempts to normalize Russian relations. And Putin seems hopeful that Trump will take him at his word when he insists that peace is his ultimate goal.