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The attitude of European countries toward Ukraine has changed in response to recent developments in the United States.
Andreas Umland, an analyst at the Stockholm Center for Eastern European Studies, stated this in comments to Ukrinform.
“A strange constellation has emerged, in the sense that suddenly the United States appears to act as a semi-neutral player, no longer unequivocally supporting Ukraine but rather taking on the role of a mediator. At times, there is even suspicion or an impression that America is now supporting Russia rather than Ukraine,” Umland said.
According to him, this stance contradicts not only the commitments outlined in the Budapest Memorandum but also agreements such as the U.S.-Ukraine Strategic Partnership signed during President George Bush’s administration and the 2024 bilateral security cooperation treaty.
“This represents a departure from many documents that have shaped U.S.-Ukraine relations. Ukraine, in turn, has no choice but to respond to this new reality,” the expert said.
Umland believes that the “peace through strength” slogan is now being applied to Ukraine rather than Russia.
When asked whether Europe has truly awakened and whether it has the courage and political will to oppose the United States, the expert said that the issue is less about political will or courage and more about political, economic, and material resources.
“The attitude of European countries toward Ukraine has changed, and it seems to me that there’s a new feeling of shared destiny between Europe and Ukraine amid the developments in the U.S. This, of course, is a positive outcome in some respects,” the expert concluded.
On March 11, Ukrainian and U.S. delegations began their meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The Ukrainian delegation includes Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, and Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Pavlo Palisa.
The U.S. delegation includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Special Envoy for Middle East Steve Witkoff.
