Some European leaders’ quiet pushback on Trump’s Ukraine efforts: Axios

Axios reported Saturday that White House officials believe some European leaders publicly back President Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine, but secretly hinder them.

A White House official told the site that Europeans should not prolong the Ukraine war by holding unrealistic expectations, stressing that if Europe wants to escalate the Ukrainian-Russian conflict, that is its own decision.

The report added that some European countries expect Washington to bear the full cost of the Russian-Ukrainian war without taking any risks.

The official also noted that Trump is considering pausing his efforts to end the war until both sides show enough flexibility to reach an agreement.

Meanwhile, an European official expressed surprise at the US criticism, telling Axios that Europe is currently working on a new round of sanctions against Russia.