Donald Trump is a man in a hurry. In less than a month, since he took over as the 48th President of the United States, his role has been that of a great disruptor, whether it is his tariff war with China, Canada and Mexico; his plan to take over Gaza; or, now, to unilaterally work to end the Russia-Ukraine war without taking European nations into confidence.
Trump’s moves are being viewed with trepidation and not a little anger in Europe. His announcement of a telephone call with Vladimir Putin, in a bid to end the Ukraine war, stunned European nations as they were not sounded out about it. Even Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky was kept in the dark. In the three years since Moscow invaded Kyiv, Russia has faced tough sanctions from the US and Europe, and the Russian president has been declared persona non grata.
In one gesture, Trump has changed the entire trajectory of US-Russia relations. Announcing talks with Russia in Saudi Arabia soon to work out a peace deal, Trump has effectively kept Europe out of the negotiations. In fact, even Ukraine’s presence at these talks is uncertain. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s comments that returning to Ukraine’s pre-2014 borders was an ‘unrealistic objective’ and his ruling out Kyiv assuming membership in NATO, something that Putin has always objected to, were more evidence of the formation of a US-Russia axis that is sending shockwaves in Europe. Trump’s aversion to the way NATO is run is well-known, as he feels European nations are not pulling their weight behind the military bloc. He has demanded that each nation spend at least 5 percent of the GDP on funding NATO.
Therefore, Zelensky’s proposal for a European army to combat Russian aggression is something the European Union nations may well have to consider. However, the rapid rise of far-right parties in Europe, many of whom are backed by Russia, does not augur well for France and Germany. At the recently held Munich Security Conference, US Vice President JD Vance created a controversy by saying Europe should be inclusive of far-right parties. He earned a rebuke from German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who was quick to remind him of the horrors of the Holocaust. Vance also raised the issue of migrants in the now-familiar Trumpian rant against them. The United Kingdom is unlikely to hold any sway, as its role in Europe has been diminished with Brexit, and the new Labour government is struggling to fix internal problems.
A weakened Europe has to either bow down to the bullying tactics of Donald Trump or fight the American might by aligning with another big power, China. The unpredictability of the US president is forcing many European nations to rethink their strategy. By giving in to some of Trump’s demands, they hope to still remain relevant. Any meaningful peace in Ukraine is impossible without involving Europe. The US president’s hopes for a speedy end to the war may come a cropper. Whatever the outcome, Kyiv has a lot to worry about, as it may have to pay a heavy price for the change of guard in America.
