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European Union

EU Welcomes Shift in US Rhetoric on Ukraine but Presses for More Support

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

European Union leaders welcomed US President Donald Trump's reversal on his praise of Vladimir Putin and his vow to ramp up pressure on Moscow in response to Russia's bombing campaign in Ukraine. However, they also underscored the need for the US to share the burden of supporting Ukraine and punish Russia. The EU's foreign affairs chief, Kaja Kallas, expressed disappointment that the bloc's ministers failed to agree on a new round of sanctions on Russia due to opposition from Slovakia.

Key Takeaways:

  • US President Donald Trump has shifted his stance on Ukraine, reversing his past praise of Vladimir Putin and vowing to ramp up pressure on Moscow in response to Russia's bombing campaign.
  • The European Union's foreign affairs chief, Kaja Kallas, welcomed the US shift in rhetoric, but pressed Washington to do more to support Ukraine and share the burden of arming the country.
  • EU leaders emphasized the need for the US to work through NATO systems to deliver US arms to Ukraine, and for European countries to contribute their fair share of funding and military supplies.
  • The US has announced plans to sell Patriot air defense systems and other arms to European countries to send on to Ukraine, but the technicalities of the new scheme are still being discussed.
  • The EU's outlays for Ukraine have been roughly on par with the US since the full-scale invasion by Russia, but the EU outspends the US when considering the cost of hosting and assisting Ukrainian refugees.
  • EU states may be breathing a sigh of relief after the US policy shift, but policy analysts caution that it's too soon to judge whether Trump's stance has changed for good.

Statistics:

  • 50 days: the timeframe announced by US President Donald Trump for a peace deal with Ukraine to be reached in order to avoid 100% secondary tariffs on Russia and countries that trade with it.
  • 100%: the secondary tariffs threatened by Washington on Russia and countries that trade with it unless a peace deal with Ukraine is reached by early September.
  • $billions: the amount spent by the EU on supporting Ukraine, roughly on par with the US since the full-scale invasion by Russia.
  • 10 years: the estimated timeframe for Europe to end its dependency on American-made weapons, logistics, and intelligence capacities.

Sources:

  • Kallas, K. (2022, [no date mentioned])
  • Rasmussen, L. (2022, [no date mentioned])
  • Taussig, T. (2022, [no date mentioned])
  • Schultz, T. (2022, [no date mentioned])

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