The White House Accuses European Leaders of Wandering Regarding the War in Ukraine
High-ranking officials at the White House believe that European leaders publicly support President Trump's efforts to end the war in Ukraine, but at the same time are secretly trying to undermine the progress made behind the scenes after the Alaskan summit, Axios reports.
The White House has asked the U.S. Treasury to compile a list of sanctions that Europe might realistically impose against Russia.
Misunderstandings and Conflicts Lead to Failures
Two weeks after the summit between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, there has been little clear progress towards ending the war. Frustrated Trump aides argue that the blame should lie with European allies, not Trump or even Russian President Putin.
White House officials are losing patience with European leaders, whom they accuse of pushing Ukraine to wait for unrealistic territorial concessions from Russia.
Imposing New Sanctions Against Russia
According to Axios, the sanctions that the U.S. is urging Europe to impose against Russia include a complete halt to all oil and gas purchases, as well as secondary tariffs from the EU on India and China, similar to those already imposed by the U.S. on India.
«Europeans cannot continue this war and lobby for unrealistic expectations while expecting America to bear the costs,» a senior White House official told Axios. «If Europe wants to escalate this war, that is their business. But they will hopelessly snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.»
American officials believe that Europeans are encouraging Zelensky to wait for a «better deal» – a maximalist approach that has exacerbated the war, claims Trump’s closest circle.
White House officials accuse European leaders of wandering regarding the resolution of the war in Ukraine, while simultaneously calling on Europe to impose new sanctions against Russia. American officials suspect Europeans of trying to achieve a 'better deal' at the expense of escalating the conflict.