The United States was once the most important ally of Ukraine: to supply weapons, financing and political coverage while kyiv struggled for his sovereignty. But today, Washington is losing interest. President Donald Trump, more at home in the golf course than in a war room, is moving away from a conflict that no longer seems to worry.
Trump has not hidden his disdain. It has echoed the Kremlin narratives, questioned the relevance of NATO and reduced the defense of Ukraine to a line line. Recently, he comments that the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, “has recently crazy” recently to undo years of indulgence and indifference.
It has not become a credible peace corridor or a consistent defender or Ukraine. His words now have little weight, and Kyiv is paying the price.
Last week, Ukraine launched what Operation Spiderweb, a coordinated series of drone strikes in the Russian territory. The aircraft boxes were destroyed in the airfields, and the key military infrastructure was interrupted. The White House quickly denied any participation of the United States. Trump responded again threatening to “move away” from war.
Shortly after, a second round of peace conversations in Istanbul collapsed. The only agreement reached was bleak: the exchange of the remains of 6,000 fallen soldiers. That can help contribute to afflicted families, but has done nothing to alter the course of war.
Trump’s late proposal, transmitted by the White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, which supports direct conversations between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zenskyy and Putin sounded more like the political theater than diplomacy. The time had passed.
It is Trump, no Zenskyy, who now lacks influence. And with the United States withdrawing from its traditional security leadership, the burden is decisively changing to Europe.
Despite the brutality of Russia’s invasion in 2022, US officials have often treated kyiv as the side of pressure and Moscow as the side to appease. European leaders backed up, but especially with words. They published promises of “unwavering support”, but doubted to take full property of the defense of Europe.
Now, as US military aid slows down and Trump continues to distance himself from the war, Europe faces a historical calculation.
For the first time in almost 80 years, the continent is alone. The future of NATO, the alliance created after World War II to guarantee collective defense, is in doubt. The ability of Ukraine to resist Russian aggression depends more and more on European guarantees.
Can Europe fulfill the moment? Can a loose coalition of arranged nations evolve towards a durable security block? And can it do it without the United States?
At the beginning of 2025, Ukraine was complying with approximately 40 percent of its own military needs, according to the kyiv Security and Cooperation Center. Europe provides 30 percent and USA. To maintain the fight, Europe must do more, quickly.
The alternative would be disastrous. The Kiel Institute for the world economy has estimated that if Russia occupied Ukraine, it could cost Germany 10 to 20 times more than maintaining current support levels, due to refugee risks, energy interruptions.
One of the most urgent needs of Ukraine is ammunition, particularly artillery shells. Until recently, the United States was the main supplier. As US deliveries decrease, Ukraine is burning their reserves. Europe is now fighting to fill the void.
The problem is the scale. The European weapons industry has been underdeveloped for a long time. Only now is starting to answer. According to the Commissioner for the Defense and Space of the European Union, Andrius Kubilius, the block aims to produce 2 million artillery projectiles annually at the end of 2025. This would simply meet the minimum battlefield requirements of Ukraine.
A particularly ambitious initiative is a plan led by Czechs to acquire and deliver up to 1.8 million projectiles to Ukraine at the end of next year. The Czech president confirmed, Peta Pavel, in May and backed by Canada, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark and other countries, the effort is one of the few on the way to have a significant impact: if it arrives on time.
Germany has also moved beyond donations. At the end of May, the Minister of Defense, Boris Pistorius, signed an agreement with his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Uumerov, to co -finance the production of long -range weapons within Ukraine, taking advantage of the industrial capacity and local engineering.
The United Kingdom is still one of kyiv’s most reliable allies. On Wednesday, London announced a new drone package of 350 million pounds ($ 476 million) of a broader support commitment of 4.5 billion pounds ($ 6.1 billion). It includes 100,000 drones by 2026, a substantial increase in the previous commitments.
But war is not fought only with weapons. Financial and economic power is also important.
Trump recently told Fox News that the US taxpayer’s money was “angry” in Ukraine. The comment was not only raw, but also misleading.
Since 2022, the United States has tried around $ 128 billion in help to Ukraine, including $ 66.5 billion in military assistance. MEANWHILE, THE EU AND MEMBER STATES HAVE CONTAINED ABOUT 135 BILLION EUROS ($ 155BN), INCLUDING 50 BILLION EUROS ($ 57BN) IN MILITARY SUP Billion and Billion and Billion and Billion and one thousand million and billion and one billion and billion and billion and billion, and billion, and billion, and billion, and billically and billically and wallet,. The United Kingdom has added another 12.8 billion pounds ($ 17.4 billion).
These are not gifts. They are strategic investments: Meean to avoid much higher costs if Russia exists in their imperial project.
Europe has also led sanctions. Since 2014, and with a renewed urgency since 2022, it has imposed 17 successive rounds of measures aimed at the economy of Russia. None have finished the war, but each one has a toll.
On May 20, one day after a warm call between Trump and Putin, the EU and the United Kingdom announced their most extensive sanctions package so far. It included almost 200 vessels of the so -called Russian shadow fleet, used to smuggle oil and avoid global price limits.
Some estimates, including modeling assisted by AI-AI, suggest that sanctions could cost Russia $ 10 billion to $ 20 billion per year if the lagoons are closed and the application. Even partial implementation would interrupt the income of the Moscow war.
The EU Foreign Policy Chief, Kaja Kallas, was clear: “The longer, Russia’s war comes out, the more difficult our response.” Europe is beginning to support that promise with action.
From drones to shells, weapons production sanctions, the continent is finally moving from statements to strategy, slowly building but constantly the foundations of Ukrainian resilience and Russian defeat.
But this impulse cannot stop. This is no longer just the Ukraine War.
The United States has taken aside. Europe is no longer the support plan. It is the last line of defense. If he fails, he also does Ukraine, and with her, the idea of a safe and sovereign Europe.
The opinions expressed in this article are typical of the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Al Jazeera.
