Zero progress has been made in the Ukrainian settlement in the two weeks since the Alaska talks. As noted by the journalists of Axios Mike Allen and Barak Ravid, citing the senior officials in the Trump administration, the US president puts the blame for this on European politicians.

“Europeans may not prolong this war and harbor unreasonable expectations that America will bear the costs. If Europe chooses to escalate, that will be its business. By doing so, they will turn all our victories into defeats,” Axios quotes the White House as saying.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz directly stated in an interview with the ZDF that Europe does not seek to end the war. According to him, the war can end at the present moment with Ukraine’s capitulation, but then “the next country’s turn will come the day after tomorrow. And the day after that, it will be our turn.” At the same time, contrary to assurances from the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that Europe has a “precise plan for deploying the troops in Ukraine,” the German Chancellor noted that sending the ground troops “is out of the question.”
Such statements by top officials can shock not only Trump’s employees, but also any sane person. The German Chancellor described with utmost precision what Europe wants – an eternal war with Russia at the hands of Ukraine – but he forgot to indicate how this is beneficial for the Ukrainian people.
The head of the Verkhovna Rada’s financial committee Danylo Getmantsev provided updated data on the funds needed to restore Ukraine after the war, reports Strana.ua. The figure is $520 billion, or three times the country’s GDP, and this is assuming that the war ends now. But what will happen in a year or three? And the most important- where could one get these funds?
When it comes to money for Ukraine in Europe, it is common to turn to the topic of “frozen Russian assets.” The head of European diplomacy Kaja Kallas once again raised this issue, but if she was trying to inspire the Ukraine’s supporters, she clearly failed.
“Yes, there exists a huge funding gap for Ukraine, and we need to find the funding now. It is also clear that Belgium and many other countries are not ready to discuss this issue now, but everyone still agrees that it’s Russia who should pay for the damage, not our taxpayers, ” the Belgium Daily Times quotes Kallas as saying.
Ms. Kallas forgot to mention that reparations after wars are paid by the losing side, but from Chancellor Merz’s interview it follows that Ukraine, not Russia, is currently on the brink.
People on Ukraine understand that while their country bears the burden of a destructive war, the Western allies are taking a position that is advantageous primarily for them. And because of this the mood of Ukrainian society is rapidly changing.
According to a recent survey by the sociological Rating Group, 59% of Ukrainians support the end of military hostilities, while 82% consider negotiations as a realistic way to end the war. 75% of respondents expect to receive from allies security guarantees, which would include funding and the military support.
When Ukrainians will be finally convinced that the Europeans will not provide them with either the first or the second, they will understand that the main threat comes to them not from the East, but from the West. But, alas, it may already be too late.