Donald Trump‘s concessions on Ukraine have played into the hands of Vladimir Putin, experts have warned, at a time when intelligence chiefs say Moscow is preparing its military for a major war in Europe.

US defence chief Pete Hegseth told European counterparts on Wednesday that Ukraine’s dream of returning to its pre-2014 borders was an ‘illusionary goal’ and that Kyiv’s wish for NATO membership was ‘not realistic’.

His statements are widely seen as a major victory for Putin and a devastating blow to Kyiv, which as a result could be forced to cede vast swathes of territory without the prospect of a security guarantee.

‘I tell you they’re drinking vodka straight out of the bottle in the Kremlin tonight,’ Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton told CNN. ‘It was a great day for Moscow.’

Analysts have warned that appeasing Putin could result in history repeating itself, with former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt accusing Trump of an historical sell-out of Ukraine.

‘It’s certainly an innovative approach to a negotiation to make very major concessions even before they have started,’ he said. ‘Not even Chamberlain went that low in 1938. That Munich ended very bad anyhow.’

Bildt is among a number of experts who have drawn comparisons between Trump’s statements and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s ‘peace for our time’ declaration. 

The Allies’ concessions to Adolf Hitler, which included the annexation of territory, came a year before Hitler invaded Poland, triggering World War II.

The deal was known as the Munich Agreement – and now discussions over the fate of Ukraine are set to be held at a security conference in the German city on Friday.

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