Major risks loom as Trump upends US Russia policy

Trump's rush to impose an end to Russia's war in Ukraine - and his seeming embrace of Kremlin talking points - has stoked fears of a peace deal with Putin that could undermine Kyiv and Europe's security

President Donald Trump speaks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025. (Pool via AP)

When Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine nearly three years ago, then-US President Joe Biden took a firm stand in solidarity with Kyiv, forged a bulwark of European allies and set veteran advisers to the task of isolating Moscow economically and diplomatically.

Washington's approach changed dramatically with this week's initial high-level talks between the US and Russia and took an even more ominous turn when Trump, without evidence, then blamed Kyiv for starting the war and called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a "dictator without elections."