US races to shore up European support for Ukraine strategy

US officials are increasingly worried about keeping their allies on board with Washington’s approach to countering Russia in Ukraine as economic pressures grow across Europe.

American officials based in Europe are issuing internal warnings to Washington colleagues that some countries with populations that support Russia are growing angry over sanctions and blame the US for rising costs. That sentiment could put pressure on European leaders to pull back support for the sanctions, officials said in internal reports circulated throughout the administration in recent days and viewed by POLITICO.

The concerns have sparked a flurry of calls among top U.S. officials across the administration about how to keep European leaders aligned with the American strategy, two senior U.S. officials said. Washington increasingly believes that a consistent and unified messaging campaign with Europe is critical to success in Ukraine, and that any fracturing of support for Kyiv could give Russia leverage both on and off the battlefield.

Growing economic concerns have led to protests in some European cities over rising inflation and the high cost of heating as temperatures drop, putting more pressure on governments to weigh domestic issues against support for Ukraine.

“The one thing that I do worry about is a rift between the United States and Europe because the United States looks better positioned on energy because we’re a major producer,” said Fiona Hill, former Russia director of the National Security Council. “We should have been working on this transition earlier.”

One of the U.S. officials said “things are holding steady for now,” adding: “but it is a shaky situation.” The official, like others quoted for this story, was granted anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.