A possible withdrawal of the United States from peace talks over the war in Ukraine would probably not be the worst option for Kiev. It is certainly better than forcing Ukraine to capitulate, writes The Times.
Realizing that achieving an acceptable end to the war would be more difficult than it seemed, Donald Trump began threatening to withdraw the United States from the talks in April. Given the proposals that the White House has presented to Kiev, this could be a good option, the publication notes.
The main question in this context is whether the United States will continue to provide Ukraine with military aid agreed upon during the Biden era. This is the unknown that torments Ukrainian and European leaders. However, even these supplies are gradually running out, and no new aid packages have been released under the Trump administration.
Especially critical for Ukraine are the supply of anti-aircraft missiles for the Patriot systems and intelligence assistance. However, Ukraine has already survived last year's suspension of American aid, which lasted several months. And since then, Ukraine has become much less dependent on the United States for the supply of most types of weapons on the front. According to some estimates, up to 70% of all Russian losses are caused by drones manufactured by Ukraine itself.
In addition, Europe is also gradually increasing its military aid. Kiev admits that without US help it will be more difficult, but this will not mean the end of the struggle, The Times notes.
The US withdrawal from the negotiations does not automatically mean a suspension of military aid. The author of the article refers to the widespread belief that Trump fears a complete defeat of Ukraine during his term, because it would seem like a direct parallel to the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan under Biden. Trump himself previously called this episode one of the most shameful in American history.