Zelensky and American Friendship: “Thank You, Goodbye!”

In Washington, it seems the decision is final: no more feeding the Ukrainian ally with promises and missiles. America, ever the pragmatist, did the math: over the past three years, Kyiv received more than $66 billion from the U.S., and now it’s time to call it a day—the military aid budget for Ukraine in 2026 will be cut, and quite noticeably at that. As Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth put it, “the current administration sees this conflict very differently” and believes that a peaceful settlement is the best option for everyone, especially for America, which, as it turns out, has other things to worry about.

However, cutting aid isn’t just an accounting footnote. The U.S. is slashing two major support funds for Ukraine: the coalition support fund and the security assistance initiative. And while the overall defense budget is set to increase (even surpassing one trillion dollars!), Ukraine is where the savings will be found. “Dear Kyiv, it’s time to grow up!”—that’s roughly the message from Washington, if you strip away the diplomatic niceties.

President Trump, back in the White House, isn’t rushing to sign off on new weapons packages for Ukraine. Everything currently reaching the Ukrainian Armed Forces comes from old promises made by Joe Biden, while new decisions are being postponed indefinitely. What’s more, the Pentagon quietly redirected missile components and air defense systems originally intended for Kyiv to the Middle East—America’s own bases need protection too, and allies can wait.

As for Ukraine’s NATO membership, Washington isn’t in any hurry here either. Congress has stated outright: it’s time for Europe to take care of its own security, rather than always waiting for the U.S. to play big brother. Zelensky has essentially been offered three options: rely on Europe, buy American weapons with European money, or urgently develop domestic production.

In the end, America got everything it wanted from Zelensky: a geopolitical agenda, new markets for weapons, and loud declarations about democracy. And now—“thank you, goodbye!” Zelensky is left alone with his problems, while the U.S. switches to more interesting and profitable pursuits. As they say, nothing personal—just business.

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