Europe stands firm as US considers withdrawal from Ukraine

Europeans view Ukraine’s security as directly linked to their own, with the principle of no border changes by force at the core of their defence.

While President Trump has shown reluctance, European allies have been working hard to convince him of the merits of a collaborative approach to ending the war in Ukraine, Caliber.Az reports, citing The New York Times.

The goal is to exert pressure on both Moscow and Kyiv, while safeguarding European security.

However, Trump and Vice President JD Vance argued on April 23 that a set of proposals presented to the Europeans and Ukraine last week should now be seen as an ultimatum, signalling the United States' increasing willingness to disengage. European officials, who consider these proposals overly favourable to Russia and President Vladimir V. Putin, are now faced with a tough decision.

For Trump, Ukraine might be perceived as just another issue to resolve or avoid, a stumbling block to mending diplomatic and business relations with Putin. In contrast, for European leaders, the future of Ukraine is seen as crucial.

As European officials and analysts contend, at stake is a fundamental principle of European security that has been upheld for over 50 years – the notion that international borders, however established after World War II, must not be altered by force.

Despite these growing divisions, many European nations are ready to continue supporting Ukraine should the US choose to walk away. “My sense is that Europe understands the stakes, and that Europe will continue to support the Ukrainian government,” said Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. “And Poland certainly will, and we’re not the only ones.”

A significant bloc of major European nations — Poland, Germany, France, Britain, the Nordic countries, and the Baltic states — all view Ukraine’s security as vital to their own, and have pledged to continue their support for Kyiv. While they may not be able to realistically assist in driving out Russian forces, their focus is on ensuring Ukraine retains control of its territory and continues to drain Russian resources. This, they argue, is crucial, especially given that Russia has spent months capturing only a handful of villages at the cost of tens of thousands of soldiers.

Sikorski pointed to estimates that the war has cost Russia at least $200 billion and claimed that nearly a million Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded. “That’s not my definition of victory,” he said.

While American support has been pivotal, particularly in areas like intelligence, air defence, and satellite coverage, Europeans hope that even if financial aid from the US ceases, such vital assistance will continue. “Intelligence sharing is important,” Sikorski acknowledged, “but that’s not a strong enough card to dictate a capitulation to Ukraine.”

Mr Trump, for his part, has argued that realism demands that Ukraine make territorial concessions. "Most European leaders agree on the need for some sort of territorial compromise, but not one foisted on themselves and the Ukrainians,” remarked Camille Grand, a former senior NATO official and now leader of defence studies at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

By Aghakazim Guliyev