A Shocking Moment in US Foreign Policy
The way US President Donald Trump treated Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, during what looked like a planned fight in the White House in front of the world’s press was one of the most shocking events in US foreign policy in decades. In this rude and upsetting performance, the wartime leader of a democratic European country fighting against Russia’s illegal invasion, in which its citizens have been killed and cities have been bombed without reason, was attacked in a mean, ignorant, and dishonest way that was meant to make him look bad.
Many people who watched Trump and his vice-president, JD Vance, act out and their far-right political supporters cheer them on will have been horrified by what they saw: an American president echoing Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin. With the arrival of a cold morning, the world, and Europe in particular, has become aware of the most upsetting truths.
America First or America Isolated?
The US, which boasts of being the most important country in the world, has joined forces with those who are against freedom and peace. It would be terrible enough if “America First” only meant a shocking return to US isolationism on a level not seen since the days before the US joined the Second World War. But European leaders, including Keir Starmer, who met in London, must have known that the shape of European and worldwide security has changed.
The first lesson should be to admit what has been clear since Trump took office: the US can’t be trusted as a partner in trade, security, or intelligence. It is no longer a given that Washington will support NATO and keep the world safe. Trump has joined forces with Russia, which is already acting badly toward European countries like Britain and others in Europe besides Ukraine, making Russia the biggest threat Europe faces right now.
European Unity: A Response to Trump’s Abandonment of Ukraine
That’s why Kaja Kallas, the head of foreign affairs for the EU, said that the “free world needs a new leader” after Friday’s humiliating White House show. In real life, that means that people can no longer act like Trump can be played and fake. After the meeting at the White House, almost all European leaders spoke out in support of Zelenskyy and Ukraine.
At the London summit, they need to quickly show unity and take real steps to help Ukraine and keep the peace on the European continent as a whole. This means that European leaders will have to make quick and tough choices about not only how much to spend on defense, but also how to let the people know that a bigger war with Russia without US help is not impossible and needs to be planned for.
Even though it’s easy to see Trump’s actions as the spoiled, showy, and self-centered response of a highly insecure person, they have much worse effects than that. No matter how small the hope is, it comes from the fact that Trump’s poisonous threats are based on confusion and weakness that can be questioned. What the world is, not the fiction that some people want to see, is what needs to be considered. Washington’s decision to step down as leader and stop helping Ukraine means that Europe needs to act quickly and without any conditions.
The Dangerous Consequences of US Foreign Policy Shifts
As Kallas says, that means European leaders need to say what values they stand for and how they will support them in real life, such as by sending money to Kyiv. Because other countries have to agree with the Trump administration’s strange and harmful view of trade and foreign policy, which combines unilateralism, territorial growth, and isolationism. This can only work in our very connected world if other countries let it.
Zelenskyy was right when he said that Putin can hurt America just as much as he can hurt Ukraine and Europe. It was important for Starmer to try to persuade Trump during his trip to Washington last week, which came after that of French President Emmanuel Macron. That plan did not work, and it should be clear that there are now red lines. The threat to stop giving money to Kyiv is the most obvious one. A lot of people aren’t sure if Trump should be allowed to go on a state visit to the UK after what happened on Friday.
It should be clear to No. 10 (Downing Street) that cutting off help to Ukraine would be too much for the UK, even for this very strange government in Washington. Above all, Starmer and other European leaders must insist on one of the most important rules of the order that came after World War II, which is based on international law: military action is not allowed to take over other countries’ land.
Securing Peace in Ukraine: Rejecting Russian Aggression
For there to be peace in Ukraine, Putin’s aggressions, which began with the 2014 invasion of Crimea, must first be seen as illegal. There should be no threats or blackmail from Trump and his allies against Ukraine. They should be able to take part in all talks. The goal of those talks should be to get both the Russian forces to leave Kyiv completely and strong pledges for its safety. We have to not only the people of Ukraine but also to ourselves at this very dark time.