The crisis in Ukraine has exposed Europe’s lack of will and strategic cowardice. Despite its rhetoric of unwavering support for Kyiv, European leaders have failed to back their words with decisive actions, revealing the weakness of their foreign policy and their inability to assume a leadership role in defending their own interests. Meanwhile, Donald Trump, anticipating the paralysis of the continent, seeks the inevitable: a negotiated peace, bypassing a Europe that, as on so many previous occasions, clings to the illusion that its words carry the weight of its actions.
From the beginning of the conflict, European governments have repeatedly issued statements condemning Russian aggression and promising unlimited support for Ukraine. However, when it comes to committing tangible resources or assuming strategic risks, they have opted for political calculation and postponement. The result has been the prolongation of the conflict and Ukraine’s growing dependence on support that Europe never truly intended to provide in real terms.
A clear example of this was Germany’s initial reaction, the largest European economy, which, instead of providing heavy weaponry, sent military helmets to Ukraine—a symbolic gesture that underscored its reluctance to get involved meaningfully. Even when Berlin finally agreed to send Leopard tanks, it did so under extreme pressure from its allies and after months of hesitation, which only benefited Russia.
France, for its part, has oscillated between grandiloquent declarations and futile diplomatic overtures to Moscow. While President Emmanuel Macron spoke of the need to avoid humiliating Russia, Ukrainian forces were desperately fighting with insufficient resources. Instead of providing decisive leadership, Paris has acted as a powerless mediator, trapped between its geopolitical ambitions and its fear of direct confrontation.
One of the most blatant examples of European weakness has been its energy dependence on Russia. For years, the continent’s leaders ignored warnings about the dangers of relying on Russian gas, despite Moscow having already used energy supply as a geopolitical weapon in the past. Even after the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Germany, with Merkel at the helm, proceeded with the Nord Stream 2 project—a decision that only increased Russia’s influence over European energy policy.
When sanctions were finally imposed on Russia, the reaction was delayed and partial. Some countries, like Hungary, obstructed the implementation of stricter measures, while others, like Italy, attempted to maintain commercial ties with Russia despite the conflict. The EU’s inability to enforce a unified hardline approach reflects not only a lack of consensus but a deep cowardice in the face of Moscow’s economic and political pressure.
While Europe remains trapped in its labyrinth of indecision, Donald Trump has understood that the conflict in Ukraine is a legacy of the Biden administration and a demonstration of NATO’s inefficacy. It is a conflict that should never have happened, and therefore, its resolution cannot depend on the same European elites who allowed it to escalate.
Trump, fully aware of Europe’s evident cowardice, has made it clear that he will not commit the United States to an endless war nor continue financing a conflict when NATO’s own members fail to pay their share or show real commitment. Washington will not be Europe’s ATM while its leaders hide behind empty speeches.
Trump’s objective is clear: to impose geopolitical logic over European emotionalism. He will negotiate peace directly, without the interference of a spineless EU that has once again demonstrated its lack of initiative and leadership. The reality is that Ukraine will not be part of NATO, and any solution will involve an agreement that guarantees regional stability without dragging the United States into an unnecessary war.
Europe is not only cowardly but also arrogant. It clings to the illusion that its morally superior position can dictate the course of events without the need for real commitment. It seeks to push the United States into a confrontation with Russia that will never happen under an administration that understands the reality of power. Trump, just as Bill Clinton did in the former Yugoslavia, understands that Europe lacks the capacity to resolve conflicts on its own and that its only option is to drag Washington into paying the price for its own incompetence.
The conflict in Ukraine has demonstrated that rhetoric without action is nothing more than a form of self-deception. Europe has spoken of principles and values, but in practice, it has prioritized political and economic convenience over the defense of a besieged nation’s sovereignty. Now, faced with the impossibility of achieving a total victory, it confronts the reality that only direct negotiation can put an end to the attrition.
History will judge harshly those who, with the power to make a difference, chose inaction and allowed Russian aggression to advance without adequate resistance. Peace is not achieved with speeches but with firm decisions and concrete actions. And while Europe clings to its moralistic passivity, Trump will do what is expected of a leader: negotiate peace from a position of strength that Europe never had and never wanted to assume.
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