The Donald Trump administration has identified Europe as a reason for the lack of progress in peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, Axios reported on the 30th (local time).
According to Axios, the White House believes that some European leaders are outwardly supporting President Trump's efforts to end the war while secretly inciting it. This blames Europe for the apparent lack of progress in peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
Trump's associates report that Europe is encouraging unrealistic territorial concessions from Ukraine to Russia, making peace negotiations difficult. Axios stated that there is also a perception that Europe is offloading the costs of continued war onto the U.S. without making sufficient sacrifices.
A senior White House official said, "Europe should not expect the U.S. to bear the expense while extending this war and secretly fostering unreasonable expectations. If Europe wants to escalate this war, that is up to them. However, they will likely lead themselves to a desperate defeat when victory seems within reach."
Recently, the White House's request for the Treasury to compile a list of sanctions Europe could impose on Russia also appears to stem from dissatisfaction with Europe.
Earlier, President Trump complained about the ongoing war during a Cabinet meeting he chaired at the White House on the 26th, saying, "Everyone is bragging. It's all nonsense." A senior White House official indicated that President Trump is seriously considering temporarily halting diplomatic mediation efforts until Russia and Ukraine show more flexibility.
The official stated, "We will step back and watch," and said, "We will let them fight for a while and see what happens."