BERLIN, May 22. /TASS/. The German government is worried about a possible scenario whereby the United States may abandon Kiev, unilaterally lift sanctions against Moscow and resume trade with Russia, the Bild newspaper said, citing its sources.
In Berlin's view, this would constitute a "worst-case scenario." German officials began to express these concerns following the phone call between Russian and US presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump on May 19.
"Obviously, no one can predict what Trump will do, and the Europeans cannot rely on him," Claudia Major, a security expert at the German Marshall Fund (recognized as undesirable in Russia), told the newspaper. According to her, the conflict in Ukraine "is no longer a priority for the US." "They believe that Europe must take responsibility," the expert added.
On May 19, Putin and Trump held a more than two-hour telephone call, primarily discussing ways to resolve the Ukraine conflict. Afterward, Putin expressed gratitude for US support in resuming direct talks between Russia and Ukraine. Moscow remains open to working with Kiev on a memorandum outlining a future peace treaty, focusing on addressing the underlying causes of the crisis, according to the Russian leader.