Observing the Ukraine clash with USA on financial support and how the Biden administration’s stance is evolving.
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The most notable change appears to be a turning away from the Biden administration’s approach on open-ended military and financial support for Ukraine.
Another notable change is the sidelining of Ukraine’s NATO aspirations. Recent social media posts from various elected officials including Pete Hegseth signal that this is no longer realistic. Kyiv has pursued this since at least 2014 after Russia annexed Crimea. The U.S. seems to be placing more responsibility now on Europe for Ukraine’s security.
February 21, Trump was quoted by the Clash Report as follows: Europe has done nothing to end the war. There are no meetings with Russia. They have done absolutely nothing. Trump also said this: Putin wants to make a deal but he doesn’t have to make a deal, because if he wanted, he’d get the whole country.
Other changes involve the territorial expectations. Biden administration had backed Ukraine’s desire to reclaim its pre- 2014 borders, including Crimea. This too, appears to be off the table now.
It’s reported that the Biden administration approved over $175 billion in aid since 2022. Contrary to this, the Trump administration hasn’t signaled further large-scale aid or troop deployments. In response, the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has publicly pushed back against terms that he views as more favorable to Moscow. Zelenskyy went so far as to accuse Trump of being swayed by Russian disinformation, which Trump sharply rebuked on February 19.
These changes towards Ukraine are said to be rooted in Trump’s “America First” policy. This policy prioritizes reducing U.S. overseas funding and pressures our allies to shoulder more of the responsibilities.
Some analysts are suggesting that Trump is aiming for a quick diplomatic win by brokering a deal between Russia and Ukraine, possibly at the expense of Kyiv. From appearances, European leaders seem to be scrambling to adapt.
Zelenskyy originally rejected a proposed mineral deal, claiming the deal with Washington did not contain security provisions. The Trump administration has continued to intensify pressure. On February 20, Mike Waltz called the refusal “short-sighted” on Zelenskyy’s part and urged him to return to the table.
Meanwhile Trump has labeled Zelenskyy a “dictator” and criticized his stance on the negations.
Mike Waltz spoke at CPAC on February 21, and suggested revisions to the draft had addressed some of the concerns and that Zelenskyy was expected to sign “imminently” during broader ceasefire talks. This followed a meeting between Zelenskyy and Keith Kellogg in Kyiv on the 20th. In Zelenskyy’s post-meeting comments, he was quoted saying that Ukraine was “ready for a strong, effective investment and security agreement” with the United States.
The drama between Zelenskyy and the Trump team continues to play out on social media. Waltz told Zelenskyy at one point to “tone it down” and Trump has been quoted as labeling Zelenskyy as “a dictator without elections”.
Trump said he had “very good talks” with Putin, and not “very good talks” with Ukraine. – Clash Report
Trump is set to meet with Putin in Saudi Arabia in late February, along with Trump’s team, but there is no confirmation on an actual date being set. Also, French Le Point claims that Trump will meet with Putin in Moscow on May 9 at the Russian Victory Day celebrations.
(Sources: Grok, The Guardian, Axios, Foreign Policy)
The Guardian: Trump says he ‘had very good talks with Putin’ and again criticizes Ukraine – as it happened
Axios- Crimea -which Putin seized in 2014
https://www.axios.com/2025/02/21/zelensky-trump-five-moves-ukraine-russia
FOREIGN POLICY
https://foreignpolicy.com/2025/02/20/trump-ukraine-rare-earth-critical-mineral-security/
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