Understanding at the expense of Ukraine: Trump approaches Moscow

War against Ukraine

Understanding at the expense of Ukraine: Trump approaches Moscow

Trump has often stabbed Zelensky in the back, and some experts see a new quality in his current course. Is the US President completely giving up on Ukraine because of the consequences of the Iran war?

US President Donald Trump never saw itself as a supporter of the Russia attacked Ukraine. He promised to end the war – as a mediator. But that hasn’t happened yet.

Now Trump has agreements with the Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin met and appears to be approaching him. Ukraine, facing a severe winter of war, is left alone. Is this the “darkest moment for the Ukrainians in this war so far,” as foreign policy expert Klemens Fischer says? Questions and answers about a geopolitical shift in power:

The bad news for Ukraine from the USA have followed quickly in recent weeks: First, after a phone call with Putin, the US President unexpectedly announced a diesel deal: Russia would make hundreds of thousands of tons of diesel available to the US and the world market. The USA temporarily lifted sanctions against Russian diesel. A week later, Trump also suspended planned new sanctions against Russia shortly before they came into force. These were aimed at curbing Russian oil and gas exports, which Russia uses to finance its war of aggression against Ukraine.

So instead of increasing the pressure on Putin, Trump did the opposite. While he justified the suspension of sanctions with an unspecified “national interest” of the US, he sold the diesel agreement as a measure that would quickly reduce fuel prices. Experts expressed doubts about any significant effects. The step nevertheless allowed Trump to present himself domestically as a president who takes his compatriots’ concerns about rising fuel prices seriously.

A few weeks before the important congressional elections, they are putting him under a lot of pressure. Republicans have also recently blamed the Iran war for the increased prices in an unusually clear manner. Trump, in turn, is trying to distract from the consequences of his war. He made the Ukrainian president several times Volodymyr Zelensky responsible for a global diesel shortage and called on him to stop attacks on Russian refineries.

The Ukrainian military has also been complaining for several days about a throttling of the military-important satellite internet Starlink. This belongs to the corporate empire of the US tech billionaire Elon Muskbut the Starshield special function used by the military is, according to him, controlled by the Pentagon. Trump denies being responsible for the throttling.

That is unclear. The pressure is currently high in the election campaign and Trump has to signal to US citizens that he is doing something about the increased fuel prices. Theoretically, he can put the suspended sanctions against Russia into effect at a later date. The US Treasury Department has issued the temporary permit for the sale, delivery, unloading and import of diesel from Russia until April 7, 2027 – a good five months after the midterm elections in early November.

Since taking office, Trump has made several U-turns in the Ukraine war. Even in contrast to the previous US government, he was particularly noticeable for his closeness to Russian positions.