Trump to ramp up pressure on Ukraine, avoid direct engagement with Zelenskyy

The Trump administration remains committed to ending the war in Ukraine but is likely to avoid direct contact with President Volodymyr Zelensky following a fallout between the two leaders at the White House.

A Trump administration adviser said that too much effort had been invested in brokering a ceasefire to abandon the initiative now. Instead, the US is expected to ramp up pressure on Ukraine while limiting direct engagement with Zelenskyy, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Analysts suggest that the dispute between Trump and Zelenskyy "could have consequences," potentially including an audit of US aid to Ukraine. However, this does not necessarily rule out future negotiations.

Some within Trump’s team hold even more hardline views. Another Bloomberg source close to the administration claimed that President Joe Biden’s leadership had "spoiled Zelensky’s expectations" that American taxpayers would continue funding the war indefinitely.

Meanwhile, European leaders are scrambling to manage the fallout from the Oval Office confrontation. One European official told Bloomberg that Trump has decided to sell out Ukraine, while several others described the White House dispute as an ambush.

By Nazrin Sadigova