WASHINGTON DC – The Trump administration moved Monday to reassure its key European ally that the US remains “committed to durable peace” in Ukraine, even as Western diplomats privately admit they are racing to prevent Kyiv from being forced into a deal widely seen as favorable to Moscow.
In her first official visit to Washington as UK Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper met with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who emphasized continued US-UK coordination on the conflict.
“The Secretary [of State] and the [UK] Foreign Secretary reaffirmed their commitment to ongoing cooperation to achieve a durable peace between Russia and Ukraine,” said State Department deputy spokesman Tommy Pigott.
“It was the kind of language you use when you know a commitment is about to be tested. The keyword wasn’t ‘peace,’ it was ‘durable,’” – a former top State Department official with a focus on Ukraine told Kyiv Post, speaking on background.
But behind the carefully scripted statements, senior European diplomats voiced deep concerns about President Trump’s aggressive peace push, which has dominated his first year back in office. Central fear: a rush to a deal before Kyiv can regain the advantage.
“We need the US fully, unquestionably in this fight for Ukraine’s survival,” one Western diplomat suggested.
Rubio’s reassurance also comes only days after a litany of stinging anti-European attacks from the administration, coinciding with the release of a new National Security Strategy (NSS) that called for “cultivating resistance” in Europe and openly signaled a deprioritization of the continent.
Trump’s ‘100-day’ promise
Trump initially promised to end the war on his first day, then extended the deadline to 100 days – a pledge that has now stretched far beyond that original timeframe and into his second year.
His team has struggled to reconcile Moscow’s demands with Kyiv’s refusal to cede territory, prompting Europe to craft its own counterproposal. That plan is set to be sent to Washington following an emergency summit at 10 Downing Street.
“The Ukrainians won’t be coerced into giving up their own land just to meet an American political deadline,” said a senior European official involved in the counterproposal’s drafting.
The urgency was underscored on Monday, as President Volodymyr Zelensky met with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Zelensky stressed that Ukraine cannot survive without European and US backing. Merz echoed the concern, warning, “The destiny of this country is the destiny of Europe.”
Cooper to warn of ‘new front’ in Russia’s war
The diplomatic dance over territory comes as the conflict is opening up a new front. Following her US visit, Cooper is set to outline in a speech today what she describes as a “new front” in Russia’s war: cyberattacks and AI-driven disinformation campaigns targeting Western democracies.
“Across Europe we are witnessing an escalation in hybrid threats – from physical to cyber – designed to weaken critical national infrastructure, undermine our interests, and interfere in our democracies,” Cooper is prepared to say, according to excerpts obtained by Kyiv Post.
British officials warn that last year alone the UK suffered $7.8$ million cyberattacks, many attributed to Russia, China, North Korea, and other hostile actors. High-profile targets have included the NHS, media organizations, and major corporations, causing substantial economic and social disruption.
“The Russians don’t just want Ukraine. They want to break the West’s will – pixel by pixel, post by post, lie by lie,” said a Western cyber official, who briefed reporters ahead of Cooper’s speech.
Cooper will frame the threat in historical context, marking the centenary of the Locarno Treaties: “A hundred years ago, malign actors relied on forged documents or carefully planted stories. Today, technology lowers the barrier to entry, allowing more actors to interfere with elections and weaken Western alliances.”
US lawmakers sound alarm
In Washington, lawmakers are raising alarms about Trump’s peace blueprint, fearing it validates Moscow’s aggression.
At the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) criticized the administration’s approach as dangerously tilted toward Russia.
“When Donald Trump unfolds a plan heavily in favor of Russia, then tries to negotiate a solution undermining Ukraine’s position, if you’re Vladimir Putin, you’re thinking, ‘I like that first plan,’” Van Hollen said.
He added that the US president has resisted enforcing existing sanctions and blocked congressional action on stronger measures against Moscow, despite over $85$ senators supporting new legislation. The message from the Hill is clear: the administration is out of step with its own party.
“If Washington veers off course, Europe will have to hold the line. But Europe alone cannot deter Russia if the US steps back,” a Western official warned.
Diplomats say the coming days are crucial as Kyiv sends its Europe-backed counterproposal to Washington.
As the Trump administration’s first year in its second term draws to a close, the question looms: can the US navigate its president’s ambitions without undermining the alliance that has kept Europe secure for decades?
The Atlantic alliance is about to find out how thin those assurances truly are.