Ukraine is no longer a top US priority under President Donald Trump. As he appears to be inching closer to Vladimir Putin’s Russia, the Trump administration seems more likely to defend Taiwan and Israel than Ukraine.
Looming trade wars with China and Europe, tariff disputes with neighbors Canada and Mexico, the war in Gaza, plummeting stock markets, and protests against mass layoffs: US President Donald Trump is currently fighting on many (partly home-made) fronts at the same time.
Amid these crises, there is another question. Will the US let Ukraine fall? It seems only a matter of time before it is answered with a “yes.”
After a number of unsuccessful attempts to impose a temporary ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow, there are many factors that seem to point towards this menacing scenario.
Trump: Ukraine ‘may not survive’
Trump recently addressed the issue himself. In an interview with the US broadcaster Fox News after an altercation with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House on February 27, the US president was asked by the anchor Maria Bartiromo whether he was “comfortable” with the idea that Ukraine “may not survive” the war with Russia.
“Well, it may not survive anyway,” Trump told Fox News. “It takes two. Look, it was not going to happen, that war, and it happened. So, now we’re stuck with this mess.”
Marco Rubio, the new US secretary of state, also made clear that Ukraine was not top of the Trump administration’s priorities at his hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on January 15.
Rubio said that the US would continue to stand by its closest allies, mentioning Taiwan and Israel explicitly. Regarding Ukraine, he said it was time to be “realistic” and suggested that both sides would have to make “concessions.”
“But ultimately, under President Trump, the top priority of the United States Department of State will be the United States,” he said. “American taxpayer dollars should only be spent to advance US interests, and every penny should be scrutinized to ensure its sincerity and effectiveness.”
In a recent op-ed for The Guardian, Stephan Wertheim, an expert on US foreign policy at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, pointed out that “none of Trump’s predecessors ever made a commitment to fight for Ukraine. Joe Biden explicitly ruled out sending US troops when he saw Russia’s full-scale invasion coming.”
He added that no NATO allies had come to Ukraine’s direct defense. “The reason is obvious: it would mean war with Russia, a prospect that Nato allies can still deter regardless of what happens in Ukraine.”
“If Ukraine and Europe continue to push for strong US security guarantees,” he continued. “They have a small chance of succeeding and a larger chance of creating a permanent rupture with Trump. The president could conclude that his allies refuse to listen and, worse, keep trying to entrap him.”
Is Ukraine a pawn in the Russia-US relationship?
Stefan Meister, the head of the Center for Order and Governance in Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia at the German Council on Foreign Relations, is very critical of Trump’s refusal to offer security guarantees to Ukraine.
The US president has “already massively worsened his own negotiating position and that of Ukraine,” he told German broadcaster SWR. “Why should Moscow make any compromises when the US president is already offering half of what Russia is demanding?”
He said that he was worried that Ukraine could simply fall by the wayside as Russia-US relations were readjusted. “My impression is that Trump ultimately doesn’t really care about Ukraine,” he said, explaining that Ukraine might just be “a pawn” given to Russia in return for “other things.”
These “other things” could be related to the topics mentioned by Rubio. Israel and peace in the Middle East, relations with China, dealings with Iran, and a rapprochement between Washington and Moscow.
The US columnist Robert Kagan has no illusions. “President Trump has made it clear that the US is no longer prepared to defend Europe,” the former Republican, who has advised several US presidents, said in an interview with the German weekly newspaper Die Zeit.
Kagan said that the idea of standing up for democracy in other regions of the world was alien to Trump. “He seems to have no qualms about concluding a ‘deal’ with Putin’s criminal regime over the heads of the Europeans.”
https://www.dw.com/en/how-much-will-trump-white-house-back-ukraine/a-71933259
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) was notified today by the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) that the federal grant agreement that funds the broadcaster’s global operations has been terminated.
“RFE/RL was informed today that the federal grant agreement that funds our global operations has been terminated. Canceling the RFE/RL grant agreement would be a gift to America’s enemies,” the radio pressroom said in a post on social media X.
“Canceling the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty grant agreement would be a huge gift to America’s enemies. Iranian ayatollahs, Chinese communist leaders, and autocrats in Moscow and Minsk would celebrate the closure of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 75 years from now. Defeating our adversaries would make them stronger and America weaker. Throughout its history, Radio Liberty has received strong bipartisan support. Without us, the nearly 50 million people in gated communities who depend on us weekly for accurate news and information will not have access to the truth about America and the world,” said RFE/RL President and CEO Stephen Capus.
Earlier, it was reported that Voice of America’s funding had been cut off, with the White House releasing a series of comments on its operations, including President Donald Trump’s administration saying taxpayers will no longer be “on the hook for radical propaganda.”
In February, U.S. billionaire Ilon Musk, who headed the Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE) in the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, called for an end to funding for Radio Liberty and Voice of America.
Voice of America (Voice of America) is an international media and language organization that operates in more than 40 languages online, on radio and television.
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, until 1959 called Radio Liberation) is an online publication and radio station that positions itself as a private, non-profit news and information media outlet. It is funded by the United States Congress. Radio has repeatedly been seen as a disseminator of American propaganda and U.S. interests.
On Sunday, March 16, at night in Ukraine (except southern and south-eastern regions) rain, in the north and west of the country with wet snow; in the afternoon in the south-western, central and most eastern regions rain (in the Carpathians wet snow), in the rest of the territory without significant precipitation, reported Ukrhydrometcenter.
At night in the western and northern regions in places sticking of wet snow, ice, on the roads icy. The wind is northeastern, northern, 5-10 m/s.
Temperature at night in western, northern, Vinnitsa and Cherkassy regions from 3° warm to 2° frost (in Volyn and Rivne regions up to 5° frost), during the day 3-8° warm; in the rest of the territory at night 4-9° warm, in the extreme south up to 12°, during the day 8-13° warm, in the south and south-east of the country 15-20°.
In Kiev on Sunday night wet snow, in the afternoon without significant precipitation. The wind is northeast, north, 5-10 m/s. The temperature at night 0-2° frost, during the day 5-7° warm.
According to the Central Geophysical Observatory named after Boris Sreznevsky. Borys Sreznevsky in Kiev on March 16, the highest daytime temperature was 13.7 in 1937, the lowest nighttime temperature was -18.0 in 1942.
On Monday, March 17, in Ukraine, light wet snow and rain (moderate rain in the east of the country); at night in most western, northern and central regions without significant precipitation.
Wind is predominantly north-westerly, 7-12 m/s, with gusts of 15-20 m/s in the afternoon in western regions.
The temperature in the western, northern, Vinnitsa, Cherkassy and Poltava regions at night 1-6° of frost, in the afternoon 0-5° of heat; in the rest of the territory at night 2-7° of heat, in the afternoon 6-11° of heat.
In Kiev on Monday night without significant precipitation, in the afternoon a little wet snow. The wind is predominantly northwesterly, 7-12 m/s. The temperature at night 1-3° of frost, during the day 2-4° of heat.
Austria will allocate EUR5 million to Ukraine for farmland clearance and EUR2 million to support the Grain from Ukraine program amid a visit by Austrian Foreign Ministry chief Beate Meinl-Reisinger to Kiev on Friday, Die Presse reported.
“For Meinl-Reisinger, the trip to Kiev is the ‘first real trip abroad’ in her new position, as Brussels, which she visited last week, is not really a visit to another country for her,” the publication wrote.
The European media outlet added that the Austrian foreign minister’s luggage includes a check for EUR5m to help demining agricultural land and EUR2m to supply Ukrainian grain to Middle Eastern countries that need it.
Changes in revenue of the consolidated budget in 2021-2023 (%)
Source: Open4Business.com.ua
The market of commercial premises as part of residential complexes is actively developing, the highest demand is for small objects with an area of up to 150 square meters, said Ukrainian developers in a survey “Interfax-Ukraine”.
“The highest demand is observed for small areas (50-100 square meters) under cafes, pharmacies, beauty bars, and medium commercial areas (100-150 square meters) under clinics and grocery stores. Small and medium-sized areas are popular because they are easier to adapt to the needs of different businesses. Large areas (from 200 square meters) are in less demand, they are mostly occupied by supermarkets or restaurants,” the press service of KAN Development informed the agency.
The high demand for small commercial premises may indicate the high activity of small and medium-sized businesses looking for locations for coffee shops, salons, stores and offices, says Yuri Motuz, Director of Zezman Holding.
According to his data, about 58% of sales of commercial premises in the LCD in Odessa fall on objects with the area of 21-40 square meters. m. However, there is also a tendency for investors to purchase two small premises to combine into a large space (up to 200 square meters) for supermarkets, pharmacies, chain stores with warehouses.
The popularity of smaller premises is also due to their lower cost, said Anna Laevskaya, commercial director of Intergal-Bud.
“Investors are interested in commercial premises at different stages – both at the excavation stage and when the object is already ready. Everything depends on location and payment conditions. Smaller premises are sold faster because their cost is lower. Operators are actively expanding, entering new premises, and in general this segment is developing even better than the apartment market”, – she told in her commentary to ‘Interfax-Ukraine’.
According to the marketing director of DIM group of companies Daria Bedya, in general, investors’ requests to the developer to buy and rent commercial real estate as part of the LCD for the last three months have increased by 24% and 23% respectively.
“First of all, these data testify to the adaptation of Ukrainians and businesses to life in war conditions,” the expert emphasizes.
In addition to traditional cafes and restaurants, mix-format establishments are becoming increasingly popular in the LCD: a combination of cafes with flower stores or bookstores, said Irina Mikhaleva, CMO Alliance Novobud. Pet stores and grooming salons for animals are also gaining popularity.
“Owners of space make their own decision on what exactly to do. As a rule, they study the existing business infrastructure, weigh their options, studying supply and demand,” the expert explained.
At the same time, there is a tendency in the market to plan commercial space at the stage of concept creation and design of a residential complex, said Avalon’s operating director Yaroslav Vozniak.
“The builder or developer aims to form an ideal ecosystem of necessary infrastructure for apartment residents. Commercial space ‘advocates’ appeared at the level of project concept creation and subsequent design. Thus, the concept of “city in the city” and complexes with developed infrastructure appeared Long before the start of construction companies already understand what functions and business should be provided in certain places of the residential complex. Everything is for the sake of comfortable life or stay in the residential complex, for the sake of the resident,” he said.
This principle in the design of residential complexes is also adhered to in the company City One Development.
“We take into account the needs of the commercial segment at the design stage, offering a wide range of premises with different functional purpose. The most liquid commercial areas are premises with the size from 80 to 100 square meters, which are in the greatest demand among investors”, – reported in the press-service of the developer.
Alliance Novobud, Avalon, CITY ONE DEVELOPMENT, Daria Bedia, DIM, INTERGAL-BUD, Irina Mikhaleva, KAN Development. Zezman Holding, Yaroslav Vozniak, Yuri Motuz, Анна Лаевская.
