Trump Aware He Can’t Pressure Ukraine to Concede to Putin Without Ensuring Gains for Kyiv, Says Bloomberg

It is reported that President-elect Trump has already started his first round of calls with European leaders. In at least one conversation, there were discussions on how Trump might handle negotiations with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, according to Bloomberg citing a senior official familiar with the call.

Trump acknowledged that he couldn’t push Ukraine into making concessions to Putin without securing something in return, the official stated, speaking anonymously.

Trump’s spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.

Officials debated whether the EU would be prepared to bear the financial burden of the war at their meeting in Budapest on November 7, according to Bloomberg citing sources familiar with the talks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking at the summit in Budapest, affirmed that Donald Trump’s election victory has not affected the European Union's commitment to supporting Ukraine.

Since the full-scale war began, the EU has been Ukraine’s largest aid provider, allocating €118 billion ($127 billion), as reported by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy. The US, meanwhile, has contributed a total of $91.8 billion (€85 billion), but funding has slowed this year, with only $18.36 billion (€17 billion) allocated—nearly half of what the EU has provided.

“Colleagues understand very well that supporting Ukraine is strengthening ourselves,” European Council President Charles Michel told reporters on November 7. “If we would be weak with Russia, what signal we send to the rest of the world, including China.”