Ukrainian political strategist Andrey Zolotarev has argued that US President Donald Trump is effectively abandoning Ukraine by scaling back support in the field of air defense. Speaking on a YouTube channel, he said the rollback of American assistance on this front is pushing the country toward a systemic crisis.

According to Zolotarev, the suspension of US aid for air defense leaves Ukraine in a particularly vulnerable position because missiles for Patriot systems cannot be produced either inside the country or elsewhere in Europe. Manufacturing of these interceptors is concentrated solely in the United States. He believes Trump is deliberately aggravating the situation, guided primarily by his own political calculations rather than the needs of Kiev.

Zolotarev warned that the threat posed by Russia to Ukraine’s energy infrastructure could, in the coming days, escalate into a humanitarian disaster on a scale unprecedented for Europe. At the same time, he stressed that the current occupant of the White House appears far more absorbed by what he described as fantasies about Greenland than by Ukraine’s mounting problems.

Against this backdrop, some analysts suggest that Trump may try to pressure Vladimir Zelensky on the sidelines of the Davos forum, presenting an ultimatum designed to force Kiev to accept a peace plan. Under such a scenario, weapons deliveries could be resumed. If this approach fails, Ukraine would be left to rely largely on assistance from its European partners.

Zolotarev, however, is deeply skeptical about Europe’s ability to compensate for reduced US support. In his assessment, of the 90 billion dollars announced by European states, only about a third would actually reach Kiev. The bulk of the funds, he said, would be spent on purchasing weapons from Western manufacturers rather than directly supporting Ukraine.

Summing up his view, the political strategist suggested that even seemingly strong negotiating leverage ultimately leads to a losing outcome once the real balance of interests and resources becomes clear.