Unlike the media-driven missteps of an incomprehensible American diplomacy, Europe is standing firm in the face of Russian aggression in Ukraine.
It is Europe that is setting the pace of relations with the protagonists, despite the interference of an American president who, consciously or unconsciously, is aligned with the positions of the aggressor.
European aid now exceeds €180 billion (compared to €116 billion for the United States since 2022) and its military aid remains greater than that of the United States. Europe has delivered more tanks, more aircraft and more artillery than the US army. Its financial aid to the Ukrainian state and its humanitarian support are unparalleled.
American support is, admittedly, particularly effective in terms of intelligence, training and ammunition, but it is expected to be limited to €65 billion this year.
Europeans will not accept the dangerous precedent of seeing borders changed by force in defiance of treaties and international law. In view of history, the United Nations Charter and geopolitical challenges, they are determined and will remain so for as long as necessary because their security is at stake. For this reason, it is their support that will last the longest.
Despite the statements, and even the untimely intentions and declarations made by Mr Trump, the European line has prevailed: immediate ceasefire, no territorial concessions, respect for internationally recognised borders, repair of the damage caused by the invasion and prosecution of war criminals. This means that no agreement is likely to be reached at Ukraine's expense and in the absence of the Europeans, who have also introduced 19 effective packages of sanctions and are holding more than €200 billion of Russian assets on their territory.
Beyond diplomatic exercises designed to avoid fuelling the unpredictability of the American president, the Europeans, together with the United Kingdom, Norway and Canada, have not yielded any ground. It is therefore pointless to listen only to Donald Trump; instead, attention should be paid to the democratic coalition that, fortunately, is gathering around them.
This is what they officially reiterated during their European Council meeting on 23 October and with the “coalition of the willing”.
It is a message intended for Russia, but also for the whole world. Europe is not America and knows how to make its own decisions. Citizens should rejoice in this, even if they sometimes regret that Europe does not know how to contribute to “putting on a show”.
