Retired U.S. Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, President Trump’s envoy to Ukraine, publicly reaffirmed support for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy following “extensive” Kyiv talks this week. This unexpected endorsement contrasts starkly with Trump’s recent censure labeling Zelenskyy “a dictator without elections,” exposing deepening fractures in US-Ukraine relations as Russia escalates battlefield attacks.
The diplomatic shift follows Trump’s abrupt reversal of America’s isolationist stance toward Russia, including direct negotiations with Vladimir Putin. European leaders have scrambled to stabilize the alliance, with EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius announcing urgent aid ahead of the war’s third anniversary:
“We’re sending a strong message to Ukrainians and the world: Europe stands united against this aggression.”
Poland’s President Andrzej Duda cautioned Zelenskyy during their Friday call, urging “calm cooperation” with Trump despite growing unease over potential cuts to US military support. As Russian glide bombs struck Donetsk and Kharkiv regions this week, Ukraine faces dual pressures:
- Unreliable US backing amid Trump-Putin dialogue
- Delayed European aid deployment timelines
- Mounting civilian casualties from intensified assaults
Analysts warn the Ukraine war now hinges on Washington’s next moves. With Trump advisers criticizing Zelenskyy’s wartime leadership publicly, Kyiv’s strategy to resist political marginalization includes:
1. Highlighting Russia’s daily attacks on civilians
2. Amplifying EU security commitments
3. Countering Trump’s claims about Ukrainian responsibility for the conflict
As European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visits Kyiv Monday, global observers await concrete actions matching rhetoric. With 14,000+ civilian deaths reported since 2022, the stakes for transatlantic unity have never been higher.
