The frontline town of Kostiantynivka in Donetsk, 19 February 2026. Photograph: Reuters. Viewed from Europe, the United States' failure to defend Ukraine against Russian aggression stands as the most significant and consequential betrayal in recent memory. This is not merely about subservience to Vladimir Putin, an indicted war criminal, nor solely about victim-blaming and coercing Kyiv into concessions. It extends beyond Donald Trump's crude attempts to profit from the conflict and undermine NATO allies.
The Shock of American Bad Faith
What truly shocks and wounds is the profound bad faith exhibited by a nation Europeans long considered a steadfast friend. As the 18th-century novelist Ann Radcliffe observed, few things are more afflicting than discovering perfidy in those we trusted. Echoing Trump's own dark warnings, Europe will remember this betrayal.
As Putin's full-scale war, launched in 2022, stumbles into its fifth bloody year, Europe finds itself in deep trouble, mirroring Russia's own struggles. The United States, however, is also faltering, though Trump and his vocal supporters like Marco Rubio and JD Vance remain oblivious. Most Europeans now view their foremost partner as unreliable, if not an outright foe. US global influence is rapidly diminishing, much to the advantage of a gleeful China. Autocrats worldwide rejoice, as do Europe's advancing far-right parties.
An Existential Question for Europe
Wolfgang Ischinger, chair of the recent Munich Security Conference, stated that how this war ends is an existential question for Europe, determining the continent's future in multiple ways. Yet, the conflict is equally definitive for Trump and his Maga ideologues. In Munich, Rubio glossed over Russian atrocities to target globalisation, climate initiatives, and multiculturalism, advocating for ultranationalism and closed borders.
Trumpism revolves around recreating a mythical past, a delusion shared by Putin in his revanchist quest to restore Soviet influence and Xi Jinping in his accumulation of dictatorial power. Europe's open, democratic society stands as a living rebuke to these retrograde forces, which both revile and fear it.
A History of Betrayal
The US betrayal of Ukraine did not begin with Trump. Bill Clinton's 1994 security assurances proved hollow, Barack Obama hesitated during Crimea's annexation in 2014, and Joe Biden responded with overcaution to the 2022 invasion. However, Trump's betrayals are deliberate and ongoing. Each day brings new infamy, with civilian casualties at their highest annual level since the war started, as Putin expands a conflict Trump promised to end in 24 hours.
Direct US weapons supplies have dwindled to nearly zero, while Trump's so-called peace process, managed by cronies, indulges Putin's maximalist demands and excludes Europe. His 28-point peace plan, a roadmap to Russian victory, was quickly discredited, yet he continues to pressure Kyiv to surrender territory, withhold security guarantees, and exploit Ukraine's resources for profit.
Shameless Treachery and Growing Resistance
Trump's treachery has no modern equal, as he bullies President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, belittles European allies, and courts authoritarians like Viktor Orbán and Benjamin Netanyahu. However, belief is growing that this cannot persist. How long can NATO leaders like Mark Rutte speak of vital transatlantic ties while Trump dissolves them? How dare Rubio lecture on Christian civilisation while ignoring atrocities in Gaza?
Trump's perfidious tyranny, toxic both domestically and internationally, will only worsen if tolerated. Despite obstacles, it is imperative for Europeans and the anti-Trump American majority to unite in voice and action, starting in Ukraine—the frontline in the battle between liberal democracy and the Trump-Putin axis.
A Call to Action for Europe
Europe must take decisive steps: deploy troops from a coalition of the willing to secure Kyiv and other unoccupied cities, denying Russia a veto. Enforce a no-fly exclusion zone, surge defensive missiles and drones, and counter Kremlin hybrid warfare with cyber and sabotage measures. Seize assets, expel spies, and demand an immediate ceasefire followed by phased Russian withdrawals, assuming a lead role in settlement talks.
The alternatives—endless war or an unjust peace on Trump-Putin terms—are unacceptable. Europe is on notice: the US cannot be trusted. For the sake of Ukraine's resilient people and their own future, Europeans, including Britain, must find the unity, courage, and resources to launch a military, economic, diplomatic, and moral offensive. Europe must take the fight directly to Putin's door and unequivocally tell Trump to get lost.
