As Kyiv fought for its independence, the United States once served as Ukraine’s most important ally, providing arms, funding, and political cover. Washington is now losing interest, though. Donald Trump is withdrawing from a conflict he doesn’t seem to care about understanding because he feels more at home playing golf than he does in a war room.
Trump has not concealed his disapproval. He has questioned the relevance of NATO, questioned the legitimacy of NATO, and reduced Ukraine’s defense to a punchline. Even his most recent statement that Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, has “gone absolutely crazy” is ineffective.
He hasn’t consistently supported Ukraine or been a trustworthy peace broker. Kyiv is now paying the price for his words, which now have little weight.
Ukraine launched Operation Spiderweb, a coordinated series of drone strikes deep inside Russian territory just last week. Important military infrastructure was hacked, and thousands of aircraft were lost at airfields. Any US involvement was quickly refuted by the White House. Trump once more threatened to “walk away” from the conflict.
A second round of peace talks in Istanbul abruptly ended. The only compromise reached was the exchange of the remains of 6, 000 fallen soldiers. That may bring the world of peace to trampled families, but it hasn’t changed the course of the conflict.
Trump’s ultimate suggestion, which was relayed by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, sounded more like political theater than diplomacy. The moment was already upon us.
Trump now lacks leverage, not Zelenskyy. And now that America is reversing its traditional security leadership, Europe is in direct need of its assistance.
Russian officials frequently use Kyiv and Moscow as pressure points, despite the brutality of their 2022 invasion. European leaders reacted in many ways, primarily with words. They pledged “unwavering support,” but they resisted taking full control of Europe’s defense.
Europe is currently facing a historic reckoning as Trump’s withdrawal from the US military aid slows and Donald Trump maintains his distaste for the war.
The continent stands alone for the first time in nearly 80 years. The fate of NATO, the group that was established after World War II to provide collective defense, is uncertain. Russian aggression increasingly depends on European guarantees.
Can Europe finally meet? Can a fragile security bloc form from a loose coalition of willing allies? And without the US, can it?
According to the Kyiv Center for Security and Cooperation, Ukraine was able to provide about 40% of its own military needs as of early 2025. 30% of the supply was provided by Europe, 30%, and 30% by the US. Europe must now move more quickly to keep the fight going.
The result would be disastrous. According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, occupying the Ukraine would result in ten to twenty times as much as it would cost Germany alone to maintain its current levels of support, due to refugee flows, energy instability, economic disintegration, and defense risks.
Ammunition, particularly artillery shells, is one of Ukraine’s most urgent needs. The US was the main supplier until recently. Ukraine is burning its reserves as American deliveries decline. Europe is now frantically trying to close the void.
Scale is the issue. The development of Europe’s arms sector has long been a problem. It is only now beginning to respond. By 2025, the bloc plans to produce 2 million artillery shells annually, according to European Union Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius. This would only be adequate for Ukraine’s minimum battlefield requirements.
A Czech-led initiative aims to send up to 1.8 million shells to Ukraine by the end of the year, which is particularly ambitious. The initiative, which was confirmed by Czech President Petr Pavel in May and supported by Canada, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, and other nations, is one of the few ones that will have a lasting impact if it is completed on time.
Beyond donations, Germany has also expanded. Boris Pistorius, the defense minister, and Rustem Umerov, the counterpart of Rustem Umerov in Ukraine, reached an agreement to cofinance the production of long-range weapons there, tapping into local industrial and engineering resources in the process.
One of Kyiv’s most dependable allies is still the United Kingdom. London made the announcement of a new 350-million-pound ($476m) drone package on Wednesday as part of a larger support pledge of 4.5 billion pounds ($6.1bn). By 2026, it will have 100 000 drones, a significant increase over previous commitments.
However, a war cannot be won by itself. Both financial and economic power are important.
Trump recently claimed that Ukraine’s taxpayer funds were being “pissed away.” The statement was also deceptive because it was also crude.
The US has given Ukraine about $ 128 billion in aid since 2022, including $ 66.5 billion in military aid. In addition, the EU and its member states have contributed about 135 billion euros ($155 billion), including 67 billion euros ($77 billion) in financial and humanitarian aid, and 17 billion euros ($19.95 billion) to refugee programs. The UK has increased by 12.8 billion pounds (17.4 billion).
These are not presents. If Russia succeeds in its imperial project, they are strategic investments that will lower costs significantly.
Sanctions are also a big deal in Europe. It has implemented 17 successive rounds of measures aimed at Russia’s economy since 2014, and with renewed urgency since 2022. The war has not yet come to an end, but each has had its own impact.
The EU and UK’s most comprehensive sanctions package was unveiled on May 20, one day after a rumored warm call between Trump and Putin. Nearly 200 vessels from Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” which was used to smuggle oil and avoid global price caps, were present.
If the sanctions are closed and enforcement is in place, some estimates, including AI-assisted modeling, suggest that Russia could save between $10 billion and $20 billion annually. Moscow’s revenue from the war would be impacted even if it were partially implemented.
Kaja Kallas, the head of EU foreign policy, said unambiguously that Russia’s strategy will be more difficult to implement. That promise is beginning to be supported by action in Europe.
The continent is finally shifting from rhetoric to strategy, slowly but steadily laying the foundations of Russian defeat and Ukrainian resilience.
However, this momentum is unstoppable. Ukraine’s war is no longer just that.
The US has abandoned its position. The backup plan no longer includes Europe. It is the final defense line. Ukraine also suffers if it fails, and so does the notion of a secure, independent Europe.
