As Trump steps back, Ukraine looks to Europe for a way of defeating Putin

US funds might be dwindling, but with European support, Kyiv can exploit Russia's weakness. Nina Kuryata and Fred Harter report

- Nina Kuryata and Fred Harter report

After Donald Trump's two-hour call to Vladimir Putin last Monday, the White House claimed a breakthrough, officially stating that Ukraine and Russia would “immediately” start talks towards a ceasefire and “an end to the war”.

It did not happen. A Kremlin spokesperson said there were “no deadlines” for talks and it quickly became clear Trump had failed to put any pressure on Putin to halt the fighting. Now Trump appears ready to wash his hands of the conflict altogether.

“This isn’t my war,” he told reporters later that day. “We got ourselves entangled in something we shouldn't have been involved in.” If there was no breakthrough soon, he added, he would “back away”.

Continued US support for Ukraine has never been more in doubt. So far the Trump administration has not approved a new military aid package for Ukraine, having only agreed a $310m sale of F-16 fighter jet parts and support with Kyiv.

Three years into the war, Ukraine faces an existential question: can it defeat Russia on the battlefield with only European help?

This may not be as daunting as it sounds. Earlier this year a senior American Nato commander in Germany was asked how long it would take to end the war using Nato forces already in Europe. The response: “Three weeks, two of which would be laying pipelines to get gas to the forces that are moving forward.”