ISLAMABAD: On Wednesday, President Donald Trump ruled out offering US security guarantees or NATO membership to Ukraine while revealing plans to reduce the $6.7 trillion federal budget by $1 trillion this year.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Trump announced that Ukrainian President Zelensky would visit on Friday to sign an agreement handing over Ukraine’s natural resources, following US pressure to secure rare minerals crucial for aerospace and technology industries.
“It’s a great deal for Ukraine too, because they get us over there,” Trump said, referring to the US presence in Ukraine. “We’ll be on the land, and in that way, it’s sort of automatic security because nobody’s going to mess with our people when we’re there.”
However, Trump ruled out providing formal security guarantees, as Kyiv has requested. “We’ll have Europe do that,” Trump stated. “Europe is their next-door neighbor, but we’ll make sure everything goes well.” When asked about potential concessions to end the war, Trump reiterated his stance against Ukrainian NATO membership, aligning with Russia’s position that this was a key reason for the invasion.
“NATO — you can forget about it,” Trump declared. “I think that’s probably the reason the whole thing started.” In contrast, former President Joe Biden has supported Ukraine’s eventual NATO membership, though without specifying a timeline.
Earlier this week, the US sided with Russia at the UN, backing a resolution calling for an end to the war but without emphasizing Ukraine’s territorial integrity, a stance opposed by most of its European allies.
“We’re going to do the best we can to make the best deal for both sides,” Trump said, emphasizing his belief that his diplomacy was fostering a new spirit of compromise from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump praised Putin as a “very smart” and “very cunning” leader, claiming that without his election, Putin would have likely continued advancing through Ukraine.
Trump also refrained from commenting on whether the US would ever allow China to take control of Taiwan by force, stating, “I never comment on that… I don’t want to put myself in that position.” Despite tensions over tariffs, Trump reiterated his goal of maintaining good relations with China, including cross-border investment.
Budget Cuts and Layoffs
In addition to foreign policy, Trump’s administration is preparing for significant layoffs as part of its broader government overhaul. The administration has already cut over 20,000 federal workers and frozen foreign aid, but the focus is now shifting to career employees.
A memo released before the cabinet meeting called for a “significant reduction” in the federal workforce, although it did not specify how many employees would be laid off. Agencies have been given until March 13 to submit plans for further cuts, just before current government funding expires.
So far, layoffs have primarily affected probationary workers, while deeper cuts are expected to target career employees. Despite these reductions, federal spending has continued to rise, with the government spending 13% more in Trump’s first month in office compared to the same period last year, driven by higher interest payments and rising health and retirement costs for an aging population.
