“Trump may attempt a ‘big deal’ with Russia”
U.S. aid to Ukraine considered to be diverted to the Middle East
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NATO Secretary General Ruter” loading=”lazy” data-pop-open=”pop-photo” data-mapping-filename=”AKR20260328026400009_01_i_P4.jpg”/>(Brussels Xinhua = Yonhap News file photo) NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte appears at a press conference held in Brussels, Belgium on March 26, 2026. (Xinhua/Peng Ziyang) 2026.3.28.
(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Lim Hwa-seop = British and European high-ranking officials are concerned that the United States may abandon its NATO allies and join hands with Russia, British daily The Times reported on the 27th (local time).
The newspaper reported that these concerns were also included in the Joint Committee on National Security Strategy (JCNSS) report released by the British Parliament on this day, pointing out that in the “worst case scenario,” Europe may be in a position where it has to fight alone without the help of the United States.
The direction suggested by this report is that the UK should continue to cooperate with the US “to the extent practicable” but reduce its dependence on the US in defense and security and “move away” from the US.
There is concern that U.S. President Donald Trump may not take action to protect even if Russia attacks NATO member territory.
In fact, in his speech in Miami that day, President Trump openly expressed his dissatisfaction with NATO, which virtually refused to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz.
“I think it was a huge mistake for NATO not to help us,” he said. “The United States will make a lot of money because we spend hundreds of billions of dollars every year on NATO. We will always be there for them, but now with their actions, I don’t think we need to be.”
One European official said, “It can no longer be said that the worst-case scenario is that the United States withdraws from European security issues. Now, the worst-case scenario is that the United States not only withdraws from European security, but also turns hostile toward us.”
Reporters expressed concern that “(President Trump) could try to make a ‘big deal’ with Russia over our heads. These are things that seemed impossible just 5-6 years ago.”
One British military source expressed concern that the United States might not protect Eastern Europe if it were to be attacked.
On the 27th, when these concerns were raised, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio commented on the plan to divert major resources that had been used to support Ukraine to the Middle East, saying, “Nothing has been diverted yet, but that could happen.”
At a cabinet meeting on the 26th, President Trump announced that NATO allies are reluctant to support his attack on Iran and that he may withdraw his policy to protect allies.
The Times reporters also reported that the war with Iran has already cost the U.S. tens of billions of dollars and is rapidly depleting military equipment reserves, which could severely impact Ukraine’s ability to combat Russia.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on the 27th that he may consider diverting weapons destined for Chiiu to support the U.S. attack on Iran.
“If we need something for America and it’s an American asset, we’re going to keep America first,” Rubio said.
However, he added that there has been no change yet in the NATO initiative ‘PURL’ (Ukraine Priority Requirements List) created after the inauguration of Trump’s second term.
Tensions between the United States and Ukraine became more explicit today when Secretary Rubio called President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s remarks “lies.”
Previously, President Zelenskyy said in an interview that the United States was pressuring Ukraine to ‘hand over the entire eastern Donbas region to Russia.’
According to the Kiev School of Economics (KSE), Russia has been earning at least 970 billion won a day from oil and gas sales since the start of the Middle East war.
Not only did demand for Russian crude oil surge due to the war, but Trump also temporarily suspended sanctions on Russian crude oil, citing his intention to lower fuel prices.
The outlook from European and Ukrainian officials is grim.
A European official said, “Europe is blocked from all elements of Ukraine policy,” citing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s failure to overcome his opposition to 90 billion euros (156 trillion won) in loans to finance the war in Ukraine.
Reporters also added, “There are growing concerns about the United States’ ability to deliver weapons under the PURL system.”
Currently, American weapons are being procured for Ukraine by other NATO members through the PURL program.
The program supplies essential equipment to Ukraine, including 70 percent of Patriot surface-to-air missile launchers.
“The Americans are prioritizing India, and now they are clearly prioritizing the Middle East, and that is clearly a concern,” the official said, noting that delays in deliveries have already become more severe.
On the 26th, reports emerged in the United States that the U.S. Department of Defense was considering reallocating military aid planned for Ukraine to the Middle East.
This includes air defense interceptor missiles ordered through PURL.
“Unfortunately, it looks like Putin is Trump’s bigger friend,” a senior Ukrainian military official said.
One European diplomatic source said he believed the U.S. was meeting its PURL commitments so far, but added: “It’s good that it’s working, but it’s absurd that the U.S. is making money from the war.”
“We can’t replace the United States even if we wanted to,” he said, noting that more than 30 percent of the supplies Ukraine needs come from the United States alone.
Britain relies on US support in many areas, including Trident nuclear missile maintenance, intelligence sharing, the F-35 fighter jet project and the Aukus submarine agreement with Australia.
But the JCNSS report said Trump’s recent comments showed “clear points of tension” in Anglo-American relations, which could “undermine the credibility of these dependencies.”
On the night of the 27th, President Trump proposed a new ‘beneficiary pays’ payment structure for NATO after allies failed to meet his demands to send warships to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Sources close to the president reported that Trump is also considering withdrawing U.S. troops from Germany, which he has been considering since taking office last year.
President Trump also joked about changing the name of the Strait of Hormuz to ‘Trump Strait.’
limhwasop@yna.co.kr
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Sent at 11:33 on March 28, 2026
