By Simon Lewis (JO:)
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The outgoing Biden administration’s high diplomat, Antony Blinken, heads to Brussels on Tuesday for talks with European allies involved that President-elect Donald Trump may abandon Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.
In his first abroad journey since Trump’s Nov. 5 election victory, Secretary of State Blinken will cease in Brussels forward of scheduled visits to Peru and Brazil later this week, in keeping with an announcement.
In conferences with NATO and European Union officers, Blinken will “discuss support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s aggression,” the State Division announcement stated, with out elaborating on what message he’ll ship.
In addition to offering billions of {dollars} in navy assist for Ukraine, President Joe Biden labored to increase NATO and rallied nations around the globe to isolate Russia within the wake of Moscow’s 2022 full-scale invasion.
Trump has been crucial of Biden’s help for Ukraine, fueling concern about the way forward for assist for President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s authorities beneath a Republican-controlled White Home, Senate and presumably the Home of Representatives.
Ukraine’s navy is beneath rising strain from Russia alongside a greater than 1,000-km entrance line stretching Ukraine’s already outnumbered troops.
Biden officers have stated they are going to push to deploy assist already appropriated for Ukraine earlier than Trump takes workplace on Jan. 20, in hopes of serving to Kyiv’s forces push again Russian troops, who’ve been gaining territory.
“We are working hard to leave Ukraine in as strong a position as possible, both by surging assistance between now and the end of the administration and coordinating with partners around the world to ensure they are ready to step into any breach,” stated a U.S. official, talking on situation of anonymity.
That features the European allies Blinken will meet in Brussels but additionally others like South Korea, which may play a crucial function given its alarm over the deepening alliance between Russia and North Korea, the official stated.
Ukraine stated final week it had clashed with a few of an estimated 11,000 North Korean troops deployed to Russia’s Kursk area.
“The most important work that they can do … is to essentially turn as much of this over to the Europeans as possible,” stated Anne-Marie Slaughter, CEO of the New America suppose tank and a former State Division official.
European nations have been getting ready for a doable second Trump presidency, however are eager to sign publicly that they are going to work with Trump, she stated.
“(Blinken) may be able to do some behind-the-scenes, low-profile stuff,” Slaughter stated, in addition to “reminding Europeans that they still have a lot of friends in the United States, even if the government is going to take a very different view.”
POTENTIAL PEACE TALKS
Trump’s return is also likely to bring NATO-member defense spending back into focus. Most allies now spend above a required 2% of their GDP on defense but Trump has said he would insist on a commitment of 3% from allies.
Trump has railed for years against NATO member countries that failed to meet agreed military spending targets and warned during the campaign that he would not only refuse to defend nations “delinquent” on funding but would also encourage Russia “to do regardless of the hell they need” to them.
While he has not outlined a clear plan for the conflict, Trump has said he would quickly end the war.
Ukraine is battling to put itself in a strong position for potential peace talks.
Trump has spoken to Zelenskiy and held a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to a source familiar with the conversation, in which the president-elect reportedly urged Putin not to escalate the war in Ukraine. The Kremlin has denied the call took place.
Since Trump’s election victory, European leaders have sought to influence him to maintain support for Ukraine by publicly stressing Russia’s links to North Korea, Iran and China.
The outgoing Biden team has few options but to try to put Ukraine in the best possible position for potential peace talks, said Daniel Fried, a retired U.S. diplomat now at the Atlantic Council think tank.
That would contain coordinating allies to impose new sanctions on Russia or tighten enforcement of current ones, Fried stated, though any actions taken now may very well be simply undone by Trump officers.
“If the Biden people try to box them in or score points, the Trump people may just reject it out of hand,” he stated.
