US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker categorically rejected the claim that President Donald Trump is closer to Russian President Vladimir Putin than to his European partners. He made the statement during a discussion at the Berlin Security Conference.
“I categorically reject that. It may be perceived that way on the European continent, but that certainly does not correspond to reality,” Whitaker said.
His remarks were prompted by Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, a Member of the European Parliament and chairwoman of the conference’s congress. She said Europeans were puzzled by the impression that the US president sometimes appeared closer to Putin than to Europe. Strack-Zimmermann linked this to the need for stronger pressure from the US on Russia to end the war against Ukraine.
Washington Seeks Acceptable Terms for an Agreement
In his response, Whitaker said Trump was trying to find terms for reaching a peace agreement, despite the difficulties in the negotiating process. According to him, Putin would not accept a deal that the other countries considered reasonable.
“Vladimir Putin is who he is. We may want him to be different and to agree to what all of us consider a reasonable deal. But he will not agree,” the US diplomat said.
According to him, this is why terms must be found that can be accepted by both Ukraine and Russia. Whitaker described the task as extremely difficult and noted that the war was entering its fifth year following Russia’s invasion in 2022.
European Involvement in the Negotiations
Whitaker expressed dissatisfaction with the constant criticism of the negotiating process from European representatives. He said the primary goal should be achieving an outcome, rather than the formal presence of European representatives at the negotiating table.
However, the ambassador stressed that Europe was already substantively involved in consultations and in supporting Ukraine. “If Europe’s voice at the negotiating table turns out to be the factor that tips the scales, then it should be there,” he said.
The issue of Europe’s role was also raised by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who said that Trump had significant influence over Putin. According to Zelensky, ending the war requires strong pressure on Russia and decisive action, as well as the involvement of European partners in the peace negotiations.
Sources: ukrinform.ua