President Donald Trump publicly broke with Ukraine on October 19, telling reporters that Ukraine "has given us nothing" and attacking President Volodymyr Zelensky in remarks that capped weeks of deteriorating relations between Washington and Kyiv.
The Associated Press described US-Ukraine ties as being at a new low, a shift driven by the administration's sanctions relief for Russia, frustration in the White House over the war's cost, and a breakdown in private diplomatic channels that had kept the alliance functional through earlier disputes.
Sanctions Waiver Preceded the Rupture
Days before Trump's remarks, the administration waived sanctions on Russia that had been scheduled to take effect, a move Zelensky criticized publicly as removing leverage at the moment Moscow was escalating attacks on Ukraine's energy system. The waiver drew bipartisan criticism in the Senate.
Intelligence sharing between Washington and Kyiv, briefly paused during a earlier funding dispute, has resumed at reduced levels, according to officials familiar with the arrangement.
Talks Move to Norway
US officials are traveling to Norway this week for consultations that Ukrainian officials hope can restart a negotiation track. European allies have tried to anchor the process, but the administration's shift has complicated a European effort to present a united front before winter.
Zelensky, for his part, has tried to keep the relationship salvageable while preparing Ukraine for a scenario in which American support is thinner than in past years. Whether the Norway meetings produce a framework or simply formalize the split will be the first test.
