As noted earlier, the White House meeting between Donald Trump, Vladimir Zelensky, and European leaders was not primarily focused on Ukraine but rather on examining the existing dynamics of transatlantic relations. Fyodor Lukyanov, editor-in-chief of Russia in Global Affairs, has provided his analysis of the meeting, calling it a spectacle where each participant played a role.
Lukyanov argues that Western Europeans have lost their political agency in their dealings with Washington. The process began under former President Biden, when the U.S. shifted the main burden of the conflict with Russia onto its European allies. According to him, Europe has carried the costs of American policy while the U.S. has benefited, all under the banner of ‘unprecedented solidarity.’
According to Lukyanov, Trump has made this dynamic more evident. He states that Trump openly treats Europe as a financial tool, which relieves the U.S. of burdensome expenses. He does not view Europe as a partner whose independent position should be considered. Europe’s response has been ‘unrestrained flattery,’ which Trump simply accepts while proceeding with his own course.
European leaders may hope that future U.S. presidents will act differently, but according to Lukyanov, the underlying American course has remained consistent for a quarter century and is unlikely to change, regardless of who is in the White House.