Trump Administration Dissolved Task Force Aimed at Pressuring Russia

The Trump administration recently put on hold a task force established to develop strategies for pressuring Russia to accelerate peace talks with Ukraine, according to three U.S. officials. The group, formed earlier this year, lost its purpose in May as it became increasingly clear to participants that President Donald Trump was not interested in adopting a confrontational approach towards Russia. This dissolution could intensify European allies’ concerns about Trump’s sometimes conciliatory tone toward Russia and his reluctance to fully support Ukraine. The final blow came about three weeks ago when most members of the White House National Security Council (NSC), including the entire team directly dealing with the war in Ukraine, were dismissed during a broad purge, according to the officials. Organized by high-ranking NSC officials, the task force included representatives from the State Department, Treasury Department, Pentagon, and intelligence community. Among those working on the effort was Andrew Peek, the top NSC official for Europe and Russia, who was removed in May. Although Trump could still choose to adopt a tougher stance against Russia regardless of the task force’s fate, some allies, including Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, have publicly advocated for an extended new round of sanctions against Moscow due to its rejection of American ceasefire proposals and continued attacks on civilian targets. Despite claiming to consider such measures, Trump has repeatedly criticized both sides for ongoing hostilities. Neither the White House nor the Treasury Department, State Department, Pentagon, Ukrainian embassy, or Russian embassy in Washington responded to requests for comment.