Trump to scale back Ukraine aid, distance from Ukraine-Russia war — political scientist

He said this on Espreso TV.

“Witkoff’s statement means Trump will drop any efforts to act as a mediator, turn to other matters, and fully shift responsibility onto Europe and Turkey. U.S. support for Ukraine will continue only by inertia—through the mineral agreement and European arms procurement programs from the U.S. That’s the model Trump is willing to work with.”

According to Saakyan, Trump has no intention of pressuring Russia. His options are either to pressure Ukraine into compromise or withdraw altogether. “Putin either accepts the terms offered, or the U.S. walks away from the process—because Trump has no plans to push harder on Russia,” he said.

Saakyan added that today’s situation presents more of a challenge than an opportunity for Ukraine. The “coalition of the willing” has managed to create a kind of trap for Trump and a dilemma for Putin at the negotiation table. This has revealed that neither side—Trump’s team nor Putin—is prepared for bold, unexpected moves. Instead, both are trying to buy time and avoid hard decisions.

“Putin says, ‘Let’s meet,’ rather than declare a ceasefire. The U.S. replies, ‘You should meet,’ essentially sidestepping the deadline for new sanctions. It’s all because Russia is exploiting the Trump team’s indecision on stepping up pressure,” Saakyan explained.

He concluded that Putin likely won’t show up in Istanbul, and neither will Trump: “But Trump needs to appear strong, hence the statement about his readiness to go and the ultimatum sent to both sides. After this, the U.S. will likely shift to a ‘drip’ support model for Ukraine and start distancing itself from the war.” 

• If Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is planning a trip to Istanbul and if a fundamental agreement on a ceasefire is reached there - then U.S. President Donald Trump will be there.