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The statements made by US President Donald Trump during his meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte indicate a rethinking of the Alliance’s role in the war in Ukraine. This was stated by former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin on Radio NV.
In his opinion, Trump’s public statement about the transfer of control over military aid to Ukraine through NATO, with US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker in charge, legitimises the Alliance’s involvement in processes that have remained taboo until now.
“This indicates a shift away from scenarios of appeasement of Moscow. NATO is becoming not only a political but also a logistical platform for supporting Ukraine,” Klimkin said.
The diplomat also drew attention to the model of defence partnership offered by Washington. According to this model, European allies provide Ukraine with weapons from their stockpiles and in return receive modern equipment from the United States. This approach, according to Klimkin, meets the interests of both Ukraine and the EU.
Klimkin also stressed the importance of imposing secondary sanctions on Russia’s allies and Trump’s ultimatum to Putin: 50 days to conclude a peace deal.
“Trump is irritated by the lack of results after his talks with Putin. He is being made to look weak, and he doesn’t like that. Therefore, he will act selectively, but actively,” the former foreign minister said.
However, Klimkin emphasises that despite the new rhetoric from the US, a full-fledged strategy is not yet visible. “The approach is changing, but there is no specific logic yet. There may be elements of this strategy in Trump’s mind, but it has not yet been formalised into a single plan,” he concluded.
