Europe needs to stand up for Ukraine and not rely on the United States

On August 15, US President Donald Trump invited Russia’s brutal dictator Vladimir Putin to Alaska and rolled out the red carpet for him, which he has never done for Ukraine’s democratically elected president Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump celebrated the war criminal and aggressor and wanted to give him Ukrainian land, while he offered nothing to Ukraine, the victim.

All along, Trump has cherished Putin and not Ukraine or the West. When Putin invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Trump praised Putin as a “genius” rather than protesting. After his inauguration, Trump has stopped all US financial and military aid to Ukraine. Apart from the recent sanctions on Lukoil and Rosneft, Trump has not introduced any new sanctions on Russia, whereas he has stopped investigations into foreign corruption and cybercrime, typical Russian crimes and closed Voice of America. Trump and Hegseth even stopped the delivery of intelligence to Ukraine in early March, and Trump threatens to do so again unless Ukraine in effect capitulates.

US republicans continue to lie that the US is financing Ukraine and giving it arms. Trump has repeatedly lied that the US has given $350 bn to Ukraine and asked for being reimbursed. The correct number (Kiel Ukraine aid tracker) is $130bn, while Europe given $200bn and is now financing Ukraine almost entirely on its own. Trump has merely accepted highly restricted sales of arms to Ukraine financed by other NATO countries. The total amount is about $2 bn, while Ukraine's defense costs about $100bn a year, $60 bn comes from the Ukrainian budget, the rest is foreign assistance.

In October, three men, Putin’s financier Kirill Dmitriev, Trump’s Russia envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, met in Miami and hatched a 28-point “peace” plan, which appears to have been essentially delivered by Dmitriev. It posed no demands on Russia, while Ukraine would have to give up Ukrainian land that it still holds; cap its military forces; promise never to join NATO; and abandon its democratic regime.

On November 28, the Wall Street Journal published a devastating article presenting the real purpose of this plan: “Make Money Not War.” Its essence was that the Trump family and a few Trump and Putin loyalists would loot the frozen Russian assets of $300 billion in the West and a few named Trump donors would be given very lucrative raw material business in Russia. Trump insisted on Zelensky accepting this Kremlin proposal by November 27. Otherwise, he would stop even intelligence to Ukraine. This was the most outrageous corruption, qualifying the US as the most corrupt country that is still democratic. By contrast, Ukraine is cleansing its revealed top-level corruption.

After the Wall Street Journal has revealed this extraordinary corruption, it is high time for Europe to act fast and hard.

First of all, all Europeans had better realize that the US has become thoroughly corrupt under Trump. His administration works for personal enrichment with Russia, sacrificing Ukraine and most of US geopolitical interests. Trump has effectively taken away all US guarantees from NATO. Therefore, Europe (meaning the European Union, the UK and Norway) must not allow the US to play any role on Ukraine-Russia issues. Europe has to face up to reality and stop asking for US security guarantees, because Trump is hardly an ally and does not do guarantees.

Second, Europe needs to act swiftly, offering Ukraine all the financing and arms it needs to defeat Russia. Europe has sufficient resources to do so. All European countries need to follow the Danish example and give Ukraine whatever they can. No country defends Europe more effectively than Ukraine.

Third, Europe can only finance Ukraine sufficiently by seizing the Russian state assets in the West ($300bn), which Witkoff and Kushner want to embezzle for themselves, and give them to Ukraine as fast as possible. The earlier Ukraine receives sufficient resources, the earlier it can defeat Russia.

Fourth, Trump is likely to take revenge on Europe with tariffs. Europe should stop flattering him and instead play hardball: Reduce European investments in the US and withdraw funds from US treasuries. Then the US public debt will not be sustainable. Prohibit crypto as well! Since all the potential Russian business partners of the Trump gang have been sanctioned by the EU, their attempts to do business with Russia can easily be blocked by the EU and the UK.