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War forces people to take sides. From the start of the full-scale invasion, the United States of America immediately supported Ukraine, but the country's new president, Donald Trump, seems to many in Europe to have sided with dictator Vladimir Putin.
This is what Politico writes about. Just seven days of Trump's intervention in the Russian-Ukrainian war "have made the nightmares of Ukrainians and many of their allies a reality." The American president's actions have undermined the transatlantic relationship that has been the basis of European security since 1945.
European politicians are beginning to understand how profoundly their world has changed: they now deal with an America that is at best skeptical and at worst hostile to the old world they represent. If there was any doubt about how willing Trump was to make enemies in Europe, he put those doubts to rest on Tuesday night by accusing Ukraine of “starting” the war with Russia,” the article says.
The authors emphasize that such blatant disregard for the fact of Putin's unprovoked invasion three years ago shocked even America's most loyal friends in the region.
According to one European diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, “the transatlantic alliance is over”:
"Now we have an alliance between a Russian president who wants to destroy Europe and an American president who also wants to destroy Europe."
In his recent statement, Trump also called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator” for not calling elections and admitted that he was not particularly concerned about the outcome of the war. Such rhetoric is consistent with “the hostility Trump has shown toward the continent since returning to office.”
Journalists note that in their first month in office, Trump and his team announced new tariffs, repeatedly harshly criticized the EU as an institution, "sold out" Ukraine before peace talks even began, questioned historic American commitments to European security, and welcomed Putin's return to the international community.
A new reality is already emerging in Brussels: the United States is not on Europe’s side. Leaders of the center-right European People’s Party, the Socialists and Democrats, the liberal Renewal of Europe and the Greens said that Europe can no longer rely entirely on the United States to protect its shared values and interests. They said European countries must act urgently to ensure their own defense by increasing military spending and supporting Ukraine.
Some believe that Europe is overreacting to Trump’s rhetoric. But even if Trump’s comments are merely a “tool” for negotiations, it remains unclear what exactly is being negotiated, in whose favor, and which side is feeling the most pressure as a result.
How are Europe reacting to Trump's latest statements?
White House President Donald Trump called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a "dictator" and accused him of not holding elections in Ukraine.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that denying President Zelensky's democratic legitimacy is wrong and dangerous. He also added that it was Russia that started the full-scale war, and Ukraine has been resisting Russian aggression day after day for the third year.
Czech President Petr Pavel also commented on Trump's statement. Speaking about the elections, he stressed that Ukraine has been resisting aggression from Russia, a nuclear power, for three years. He also recalled that a fifth of Ukrainian territory is under Russian occupation, and the country is also suffering from shelling.
“Calling the president of such a country a dictator requires a great deal of cynicism,” the Czech president wrote.
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