Trump's shift toward Putin alarms Ukraine and European allies

US president aligns with Russian leader, presses Kyiv for concessions as Europe fears a sellout

By LineZotpaper

Published23 October 2026

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Ukraine and its European allies are reeling after US President Donald Trump aligned himself with Vladimir Putin, eased sanctions, struck a diesel deal and launched renewed attacks on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The moves have fuelled fears that Washington is prepared to sell Ukraine out in pursuit of a grand peace deal, with European officials describing the situation as 'terrifying'.

In a sequence that has shocked European capitals, Trump has sided with the Russian president on multiple fronts in recent weeks. The White House moved to ease years of sanctions on Russia and appeared to sidestep punitive legislation Trump had signed just one month earlier. His rhetoric against Zelenskyy has taken on a new bitterness, with Trump urging Kyiv to hold wartime elections, which Ukraine's constitution prohibits.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has reported sudden restrictions on Starlink satellite technology controlled by Trump ally Elon Musk and unexplained delays in US-made weapons deliveries. Kyiv believes the measures are intended to pressure Zelenskyy into accepting a deal more favourable to Moscow. The White House has denied imposing restrictions for political reasons.

European officials have voiced growing alarm. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told the European Parliament that "American negotiators have been trying to push Ukraine into surrender for almost two years," adding that Europe's continued support is the reason Ukraine has not surrendered on Putin's terms. A senior European official said it was "terrifying" to see former property developers serving as US envoys to divide up a country with Putin.

US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have caused consternation by reportedly floating proposals to release frozen Russian assets and resume Russian gas supplies as incentives in peace talks. European governments have rejected both ideas. Witkoff drew widespread criticism after describing Putin as a "humanitarian" on the same day Russia launched 21 ballistic missiles at Kyiv, including cluster-munition warheads.

US officials have denied claims that Witkoff and Kushner threatened to withdraw military and intelligence support unless Kyiv made concessions.

Trump's shift comes as Republicans face mounting political pressure ahead of next month's midterm elections, with voters disillusioned by inflation and high energy prices. One European official said it was difficult to draw firm conclusions from Trump's statements until after the midterms, while another noted that the president has considerable latitude to reshape US foreign policy regardless of the outcome.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Ukraine's survival hangs on continued US military aid, intelligence sharing and satellite access. Delays or restrictions could shift the battlefield balance in Russia's favour.
European allies are recalibrating their own Ukraine strategy, with several officials indicating they must hold their nerve and potentially increase support if US commitment wavers.
Trump's overtures to Putin signal a broader realignment of US foreign policy that could weaken the NATO alliance and embolden Russia to pursue further territorial ambitions.

Background

Trump has long expressed admiration for Putin, and the US-EU divide over Ukraine has widened significantly since his re-election. A US-backed 28-point peace proposal from November 2025, drafted according to reports in Moscow before being submitted to Washington, called for Ukraine to cede territory, limit its armed forces and permanently renounce NATO membership. European governments quickly rejected the terms. The current confrontation is the latest escalation in a year-long pattern of US pressure on Kyiv to negotiate on terms favourable to Russia.

Key Perspectives

Ukraine: Believes Washington is deliberately restricting weapons, intelligence and satellite access to force acceptance of a bad peace deal. Zelenskyy has refused calls for elections during wartime and initially resisted demands to halt strikes on Russian oil refineries. European Union: Alarmed by Trump's policy shift, with officials expressing public and private fury. Kaja Kallas told the European Parliament that only Europe's support has prevented Ukraine's surrender. Governments are exploring ways to deepen their own military and financial assistance. Trump Administration: Denies using weapons deliveries as political leverage. The White House has not responded directly to accusations of undermining Ukraine but has framed its approach as pursuing peace. Special envoys have floated incentives including frozen asset releases and resumed Russian gas supplies to Europe. Russia: Has seized the opening to propose further joint ventures and a trilateral summit with Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, seeking the great-power status Putin craves as its economy shows strain.

What to Watch

The outcome of US midterm elections in November: a Democratic victory could constrain Trump's domestic agenda but may have limited effect on his foreign policy latitude.
Whether European allies follow through on their stated intent to increase Ukraine support, or whether the growing transatlantic rift causes coordination to break down.
Any further restrictions on Starlink access or Patriot interceptor deliveries, which would be the clearest signal of Washington's intentions toward Kyiv.

Sources

'It's terrifying': Ukraine and Europe on edge as Trump sides with Putin · Euronews

Checked

11 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 7 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedTrump’s shift toward Putin has alarmed Ukraine and European allies.Euronews: “In a shell-shocking sequence of events, the US president aligned himself with his Russian counterpart”
SupportedEurope fears Trump could sell Ukraine out in pursuit of a grand peace deal.Euronews: “that, in his relentless pursuit of a grand deal worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize nomination, Trump could be prepared to sell Ukraine out.”
SupportedTrump struck a diesel deal and moved to ease sanctions on Russia.Euronews: “the US president aligned himself with his Russian counterpart, struck a diesel deal, moved to ease years of sanctions”
Partly supportedEuropean officials described the situation as “terrifying.”Euronews: ““It’s terrifying that you send two property dealers into a negotiation with Putin, where they decide they want to divide up a country.””
SupportedKaja Kallas said, “American negotiators have been trying to push Ukraine into surrender for almost two years.”Euronews: ““American negotiators have been trying to push Ukraine into surrender for almost two years,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told the European Parliament earlier this week”
SupportedTrump urged Kyiv to hold wartime elections, which Ukraine’s constitution prohibits.Euronews: “urging Kyiv to hold new elections and appoint “someone else” to negotiate with Moscow. Ukraine’s constitution prohibits elections during wartime.”
Partly supportedA senior European official called US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner “former property developers” serving to divide up a country with Putin.Euronews: “The remark was a reference to US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, both of whom, like Trump, made their fortunes in real estate.”
SupportedUkrainian officials believe the measures are intended to pressure Zelenskyy into accepting a deal more favourable to Moscow.Euronews: “Ukrainian officials believe the measures are intended to pressure President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into accepting a deal more favourable to Moscow.”
SupportedRussia launched 21 ballistic missiles at Kyiv hours after Witkoff called Putin a “humanitarian”; three missiles carried cluster-munition warheads.Euronews: “Witkoff came under widespread fire this week after describing Putin as a “humanitarian”. Hours later, Russia launched 21 ballistic missiles at Kyiv, three carrying cluster-munition warheads”
Partly supportedA European official said it was difficult to draw firm conclusions from Trump’s statements until after the midterms.Euronews: ““Until the midterms, it’s hard to draw any firm conclusions from his statements. It feels like we need to hold our nerve until then,” the second official said.”
Partly supportedThe president has considerable latitude to reshape US foreign policy regardless of the midterm outcome.Euronews: “A Democratic victory would constrain Trump’s domestic agenda, but its impact on his foreign policy is less clear. As his latest moves demonstrate, the president has considerable latitude to reshape the American position on the world stage.”