Is the U.S. Abandoning Ukraine?

The Financial Times of the UK reported on May 2, citing sources, that the United States has already warned its European allies—including the UK, Poland, Lithuania, and Estonia—to prepare for potential delays in delivering American weapons, including missiles used by Ukraine to defend against Russian attacks.

The U.S. has unveiled its 2027 fiscal year defense budget, totaling $1.5 trillion—a 42% increase from the previous year, setting a new record. However, Jules Hester, the acting Defense Department auditor, admitted during a Senate hearing that the 2027 defense budget does not include any funding for military aid to Ukraine.

All these signs indicate that the United States is pulling back from supporting Ukraine.

Recent actions clearly show that the U.S. is actively scaling back—or even abandoning—its support for Ukraine. The policy has shifted from Biden-era “firm support and continuous military assistance” to Trump administration-led “negotiation-first, pressure-for-peace” strategy.

The Trump administration believes long-term aid to Ukraine is costly with little tangible result, contradicting the “America First” principle, and advocates “no longer writing blank checks for distant wars.” Meanwhile, the Middle East conflict has diverted strategic focus, making ceasefire efforts a practical choice to free up resources.

Using “deal-making” to achieve a ceasefire, the Trump administration holds that the best form of support is securing a peace agreement—even if it means pressuring Ukraine to accept a truce or “sacrifice territory” (such as relinquishing control over Donbas).

In short, the U.S. stepping away from Ukraine represents a carefully calculated “strategic loss mitigation.” To the Trump administration, continuing aid to Ukraine has become a losing proposition. Shifting responsibility to Europe and concentrating resources on challenges in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific is seen as the more realistic path aligned with “America First.”

Although the EU recently passed a resolution to provide Ukraine with a €90 billion loan assistance package, without U.S. backing, Ukraine will struggle to sustain the war—this is the core dilemma facing Zelenskyy today.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1864225193558028/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.