The United States remains an ally even as tensions between Kyiv and Washington have escalated in recent months, Ukraine’s ambassador to the EU said.
“Indeed, America is an ally for Ukraine,” Vsevolod Chentsov told POLITICO’s European Pulse Forum.
Chentsov struck a cautious tone throughout, emphasizing that Ukraine “still rely[ies] on U.S. help on air defense, and it’s critical for us,” while also highlighting growing cooperation with European partners and Ukraine’s own expanding drone capabilities.
“We are in a very difficult situation,” he said, adding Kyiv “cannot reject” support from either side.
The remarks come as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has adopted a sharper tone toward Washington. In an interview this week on the podcast “The Rest Is Politics,” Zelenskyy said: “The problem is they trust Putin. And it’s a pity.
“They don’t want to recognise that Putin will lie to them and that he can continue the occupation even after such steps. The Americans are sure that they can trust Putin.”
Chentsov did not directly engage with those criticisms, instead pointing to President Trump’s role in “peace efforts” and stressing Ukraine’s continued reliance on U.S. support, even as it deepens ties with Europe.
The comments come against the backdrop of U.S. pullbacks in support. In March 2025, Washington paused both military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine following tensions over peace negotiations, a move confirmed by U.S. officials and reported by Reuters.
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