A formidable European alliance is storming Washington with the explicit goal of blocking what they fear could be President Trump’s premature Russia reset. The unprecedented diplomatic intervention reflects deep European anxiety about Trump’s apparent willingness to engage Putin without adequate safeguards for Ukrainian sovereignty.
The intervention follows Trump’s enthusiastic response to his Alaska meeting with Putin, where he declared significant progress in bilateral relations. European leaders view this optimism with alarm, particularly since Putin’s Western visit represented his first such appearance since launching an unprovoked invasion that has destabilized European security.
The European alliance features an extraordinary assembly of continental leadership, with President Zelenskyy joined by Macron, Starmer, Merz, and von der Leyen. This remarkable convergence of European power demonstrates their shared determination to prevent any hasty agreement that could legitimize Russian territorial gains or exclude European voices from crucial decisions.
European concerns focus particularly on potential land-for-peace arrangements that reportedly emerged from Trump-Putin discussions. Despite U.S. assurances about providing “robust security guarantees” characterized as “game-changing,” European leaders insist that any legitimate peace framework must respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity and include meaningful European participation in both negotiation and implementation.
