US President Donald Trump’s rhetoric on Ukraine has shifted sharply, but behind it lies a plan to shift responsibility for the war in Ukraine onto Europe. Moreover, he still wants to make a deal with Putin and profit from it, says Kurt Volker, who served as the special envoy for Ukraine negotiations during Trump’s first term, Bloomberg reports.
In 2025, Trump pressured Ukraine to seek a quick end to the war. His plans included concessions to Moscow, such as recognizing the annexation of Crimea. His administration has not imposed the promised sanctions against Russia or its main ally, China, nor has it approved new aid packages despite a war of attrition. Now, however, Trump suddenly claims that Ukraine is capable of reclaiming all its territory, but only with financial support from Europe, not the US.
Volker: “He still wants to get a deal with Putin”
While Ukraine and its allies were digesting news of Trump’s newly optimistic vision for Kyiv’s prospects in the war against Russian invasion, signs emerged that he was increasing pressure on Europe.
“They … were sensing he was pushing the responsibility for ending the war to them. Though Trump seemed to set a baseline for US support – easing allied fears of a cutoff of vital military aid – officials also warned that Trump’s view may change again,” the report says.
Trump’s assertion that Ukraine can reclaim its territories contradicts the assessments of most allied intelligence services, which believe the situation is currently at a stalemate.
By hinting that Russia might be a “paper tiger” on the brink of an economic crisis, Trump is “really just trying to get under Putin’s skin,” Volker explains.
“But he doesn’t suggest that he’s going to do anything about it,” he continues.
Volkers adds that with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump “still wants to get a deal and, in the wake of a deal, to make money.”
In addition, Trump has intensified pressure on Europe. He continues, in particular, to demand cuts in oil and gas purchases from Russia amid calls from allies to increase pressure on Russia. The EU has promised to accelerate steps to limit oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.
Oil, gas, and China
Trump’s demands to impose European tariffs of up to 100% on China and India present an even more complex challenge for allies. The EU rarely implements such radical secondary sanctions, as the bloc is heavily dependent on trade with China.
“It is partly a strategy to deflect and to distract and to sort of park the ball over to the Europeans and say, ‘Well, you go first,’” said Liana Fix, a senior fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations.
While Trump did impose high tariffs on India for its Russian oil purchases during trade negotiations, he is still negotiating with China and refused to significantly raise tariffs earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Putin has concluded that military escalation is the best way to force Ukraine to negotiate on his terms and that Trump is unlikely to do much to strengthen Kyiv’s defense.