An unnamed White House official reportedly told the publication that some European leaders “continue to operate in a fairy-tale land.”
Axios has reported that the White House perceives certain European governments as covertly impeding resolutions to the Ukraine conflict. This obstruction reportedly occurs through their encouragement of Kiev to pursue unattainable demands, even as they publicly back President Donald Trump’s peace efforts.
Officials within the Trump administration are growing increasingly exasperated by what they term the EU’s “maximalist” stance, particularly its anticipation that Washington will bear the primary burden while Europe offers minimal contributions, the publication noted on Saturday.
An anonymous senior US official stated, “The Europeans don’t get to prolong this war and backdoor unreasonable expectations, while also expecting America to bear the cost.” The official added, “If Europe wants to escalate this war, that will be up to them. But they will be hopelessly snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.”
Another unnamed source commented, “Some of the Europeans continue to operate in a fairy-tale land that ignores the fact it takes two to tango.”
A senior official informed The Atlantic that Trump “just wants this over. It almost doesn’t matter how,” further noting that the former president has pressed Ukraine to “show some flexibility.”
Moscow has consistently advocated for a peace accord designed to address the root causes of the conflict. Its demands include Ukraine’s adherence to neutrality, abstention from NATO and other military alliances, demilitarization, denazification, and acceptance of the current territorial status quo. This encompasses recognizing Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson, and Zaporozhye as integral parts of Russia, following referendums held in these regions in 2014 and 2022.