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EU officials fear that Trump’s antipathy toward Zelenskyy is favoring Russia in negotiations for peace in Ukraine

Riana Gegiu

21 October 2026, 11:33

International

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European officials and diplomats fear that Donald Trump will not support achieving a fair peace in Ukraine, amid his antipathy toward Volodymyr Zelensky and statements by the White House leader considered favorable to Russia.

This week, the American president stated that “Russia has behaved well regarding Ukraine” and that it “has not done very much.” The statement was met with concern in Kyiv and in European capitals, following weeks of intense Russian bombardments.

Kaja Kallas, the head of European diplomacy, argued that American negotiators have been trying for nearly two years to push Ukraine toward capitulation and that the country’s resistance was made possible by European support.

European officials cited by Politico believe that Trump’s personal preferences influence his administration’s policy. They say that the American president dislikes Zelensky, while almost constantly avoiding criticism of Vladimir Putin.

Context: amid European concerns, the US and Kyiv entered a new round of tensions over pressure for peace

Previously, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas accused the United States of pressuring Ukraine to accept peace terms imposed by Russia, in a statement made in Strasbourg, while talks were taking place in Oslo between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US envoy Steve Witkoff, alongside European leaders such as Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

At the same time, Donald Trump publicly justified his decision to suspend some sanctions imposed on Russia, linking the measure to the goal of stopping the war, while Zelenskyy criticized this approach. Trump also stated that Ukraine would need “a new leader” capable of reaching an agreement with Russia, while Kyiv–Washington relations were further strained by disputes over attacks on Russian oil infrastructure and controversies surrounding the energy truce, including the continuation of strikes on Ukraine’s power grid.