European leaders know they can’t stop courting U.S. President Donald Trump. But as the American leader menaces Ukraine and offers Russian an economic lifeline, they are preparing for a world where he effectively sides with Moscow.
In the span of a week, Trump has trashed years of energy sanctions on the Kremlin, pressured Kyiv to quit bombing Russian oil refineries and suggested Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy was an illegitimate leader — echoing Moscow’s propaganda. At one point, Ukraine also lost full access to the Elon Musk-owned Starlink system, leaving it hobbled on the battlefield.
In response, Zelenskyy let rip. He felt betrayed, he said. He called out Trump in public.
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