In Europe, they began to expect with cautious optimism that the newly elected US President Donald Trump will not force Ukraine to start premature negotiations with Russia, writes Bloomberg.
According to the agency's sources, these expectations arose after a series of private negotiations with members of the Trump team, in which European politicians justified the need for additional support for Ukraine.
According to Bloomberg's interlocutors, the exchange of views raises the possibility that the Trump administration will help Kiev act from a position of strength before negotiations begin.
At the same time, negotiators warn: they do not know what the new US president, who has a reputation for rejecting advice or changing his position, will ultimately do at the last minute.
Trump’s people seemed receptive to two arguments, Bloomberg sources said. First, the new American leader risks facing a humiliation comparable to a chaotic withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan if he withdraws support for Kiev. Second, a Russian victory could prompt China to adopt a more aggressive policy.
"At the very least, Trump’s boastful campaign to end Putin’s war with Ukraine by the time he takes office is impossible," the agency summarized. Trump’s nominee for special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, told Fox News last week that he would like to see a solution found within the first 100 days of the new administration.