Ukraine hosted European leaders on Monday to mark three years of all-out war with Russia. At the same time, top US officials stayed away in a clear illustration of President Donald Trump's lurch towards Moscow since returning to power.
Still reeling from Trump denouncing President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as a "dictator" and accusing him of starting the war, Kyiv said it was in the final stages of agreeing a deal with Washington to provide access to its mineral wealth.
The visitors included European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, and the leaders of Canada, Denmark, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Norway, Spain, and Sweden. Leaders of Albania, Britain, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Japan, Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland, and Turkey spoke by video link. There was no sign of US representation.
Washington has made clear it will not send troops as a security guarantee coveted by Kyiv if a peace deal emerges, placing the burden on European powers that are likely to struggle without US backing.