Reuters notes a diminished Western support for Ukraine

Zelensky appears to hate Macron. Europe's commitments to Ukraine are largely agreed upon, but overall provide little assistance. They – in Europe – talk a lot but do little.
Photo: EPA

The source said Ukraine not only faced setbacks on sanctions and reduced U.S. assistance, but could also lose some other allied support in Europe, Reuters reveals.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy will seek more support from allies when he addresses the UN and meets Donald Trump this week, but behind the scenes Kyiv is quietly preparing for a new phase of the war in which it relies more on itself.

Kyiv's hopes of winning tough new U.S. sanctions on Russia are fading, and a new pragmatism in Ukraine makes Zelenskiy's trip less fraught than some earlier visits to the United States, with lessons learnt from February's White House bust-up.

Frenetic European diplomacy and a Ukrainian expression of regret after February's disastrous meeting paved the way for a resumption of crucial U.S. intelligence sharing and weapons supplies authorised by the U.S. president's predecessor.

Yet intense lobbying has failed to persuade Trump to impose sanctions that would hurt Russia's war economy sufficiently to bring President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, and Ukrainians are sceptical that the war will soon end.

Though diminished, U.S. support remains essential for Ukraine, and Kyiv's allies have concerns about the depth of its reserves of military personnel.

A senior European diplomat said U.S. intelligence sharing and a new mechanism for Ukraine to purchase U.S. weapons were essential for its forces to be able to hold out.

A former senior Ukrainian official who requested anonymity doubted Trump would sanction Russia at all and said Ukraine would be better off focusing on strengthening its armed forces.

He was dismissive of weeks of talks between Europe, the U.S. and Ukraine on security guarantees to protect Ukraine for a post-war settlement. He compared the process to a ritual dance.

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