Is Europe playing a double game while American patience wears thin? Senior White House officials are sounding the alarm, accusing certain European leaders of publicly backing President Trump’s push to end the Ukraine war while quietly sabotaging the hard-fought progress since the Alaska summit.
According to Axios, two weeks after the Trump-Putin summit, the path to peace in Ukraine remains stalled, with U.S. frustration mounting over European allies allegedly nudging Ukraine toward unattainable demands.
This tension comes on the heels of the Alaska summit, where initial steps toward resolution were made. Now, with little to show for it, Trump aides are pointing fingers not at their boss or Putin, but at European counterparts for the lack of advancement.
White House officials are losing their cool, claiming some European leaders are whispering unrealistic territorial expectations into Ukraine’s ear. It’s a classic case of saying one thing in public—support for Trump’s peace efforts—and doing quite another behind closed doors.
“The Europeans don’t get to prolong this war and backdoor unreasonable expectations, while also expecting America to bear the cost,” snapped a top White House official. Well, isn’t that a bitter pill? Turns out, footing the bill for endless conflict isn’t America’s idea of a fair deal.
Trump himself didn’t mince words during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, visibly irritated by the deadlock. “Everybody is posturing. It’s all nonsense,” he declared, cutting through the diplomatic fog with characteristic bluntness.
Some U.S. officials are particularly irked that certain major European nations expect America to shoulder the war’s financial and strategic burden alone. It’s as if they’re sitting back, sipping espresso, while the U.S. does the heavy lifting. A senior official quipped, “We are going to sit back and watch. Let them fight it out for a while.”
Interestingly, U.S. officials note that British and French representatives seem more cooperative compared to others across the pond. Perhaps not all of Europe is tuning out Trump’s call for unity on this pressing issue.
The White House isn’t just venting—it’s pushing for action, urging Europe to slap Russia with tough sanctions, including a total halt on oil and gas purchases. They’re even floating secondary tariffs on nations like India and China, mirroring U.S. measures already in place. Now that’s putting some muscle behind the rhetoric.
After separate meetings with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Trump has insisted the next logical step is a face-to-face between the two leaders. But here’s the rub: Russia is refusing to join such a summit, and Ukraine won’t budge on territorial talks until Moscow shows up. It’s a diplomatic standoff with no end in sight.
Recent escalations on the ground aren’t helping—Russia unleashed massive airstrikes on Kyiv, while Ukraine retaliated against Russian oil refineries. Peace? Not even on the horizon.
Last Friday, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff met with Zelensky’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak in New York to hash out the potential Putin-Zelensky meeting. Despite an invitation for Witkoff to visit Kyiv, no real breakthroughs emerged from the discussion. Another swing, another miss.
Some U.S. officials see European leaders as the primary roadblock, despite Trump’s cordial meetings with them and Zelensky less than two weeks ago. Meanwhile, a senior European official pushed back, expressing shock at the U.S. criticism and denying any mismatch between their public stance and private actions.
That same European official insisted their countries are already crafting fresh sanctions against Russia. If true, it might ease some of the strain, but the White House remains skeptical. Actions, after all, speak louder than promises.
“Perhaps both sides of this war are not ready to end it themselves,” noted White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, highlighting the deeper challenge. It’s a sobering reminder that even with Trump’s deal-making prowess, peace requires willing partners. Europe, take note—dragging feet won’t win any friends across the Atlantic.
