Politico: Concern reigns in Europe over Trump's controversial decisions
U.S. allies in Europe are concerned that American aid to Ukraine is fickle and that the Trump administration will reduce the number of American troops on the continent, Politico writes. Europe has lost confidence in Washington, the article says.
Paul McLeary
European leaders are extremely stunned by the Trump administration's policy towards Ukraine; moreover, they do not understand who runs the Pentagon. As a result, governments are preparing for a multitude of scenarios, making it difficult to develop any strategy for Ukraine, as Trump's foreign policy can change at his slightest whim. Trump may, for example, take additional actions against Russia, or suspend arms supplies to Ukraine again, or even withdraw American troops who are strengthening Europe's defenses.
"Nothing surprises us anymore; we need to be prepared for anything," said one diplomat from a NATO country. This person, like the others interviewed for this article, was granted anonymity.
Last week, many US allies were stunned by the Pentagon's sudden order to stop supplying air defense and lethal military assistance to Kiev. Then, this week, Trump made a sharp 180-degree turn and promised to supply more air defenses for the needs of the Ukrainian army, saying he was sick of the "nonsense" of Russian President Vladimir Putin. But whether this will translate into concrete actions is unclear.
One of the reasons for the confusion is the problem with communication with Washington.
Ukrainians have been trying to establish contact between Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth since July 1, when the supply of air defense missiles and precision weapons ready for shipment to Ukraine was suspended without warning. But two informed sources said that Hegseth's people had not yet coordinated the call.
According to one European official, it is "difficult to understand what is happening" inside the administration, especially given that "it looks like Trump has become more consistent in his support for Ukraine," while the Pentagon leadership has taken a different position.
On the European continent, they were concerned, however, not only about the urgent supply of weapons to Ukraine. Many NATO allies are faced with the growing question of the presence of American forces in Europe: if the United States significantly reduces its military contingent in Europe, it will be more difficult in the long run to counter Russian aggression or other threats in the future.
Another European official said that "there is a general impression in Europe that the administration is behaving rather uncoordinated" on the issue of Ukraine, and many NATO countries are simply trying to adjust to Washington's volatile mood.
However, the White House objects that the administration has not changed its strategies or policies.
"There is nothing more consistent than President Trump's foreign policy. He always puts America first, and he wants peace in Ukraine and around the world," White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly said in a statement. "After an audit by the Department of Defense conducted to make sure that all foreign military assistance is in line with American interests, the president decided to send additional ammunition for defensive weapons to Ukraine so that the killing in this brutal war would stop."
The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment.
The head of the Department of Defense's policy department, Elbridge Colby, who heads the team that reviews the Pentagon's position in the world, announced plans to publish his recommendations in August. Given his view that America should focus on the Indo-Pacific region instead of Europe, European allies expect the withdrawal of some American forces.
When asked about the issue, none of the officials could talk about any discussions with Colby's team about the review, which is why Germany, Poland, Italy and the United Kingdom, which have significant American troops and equipment stationed in their territories, remain unaware of their future presence.
On Tuesday, Trump hinted at some dissatisfaction with Germany and South Korea, in particular, he complained about how expensive it is to deploy American troops there.
"We have 45,000 soldiers in South Korea, and 45,000 soldiers in Germany, no, actually 52,000. And you know, for them it means a huge economic development. This is a lot of money for them and a lot of costs for us," he said before a meeting of the Cabinet of the President of the United States.
Although every administration is engaged in research similar to the one currently being conducted by the Pentagon, the fact that Colby played a leading role in canceling military aid to Ukraine, as well as the fact that he has long been skeptical of the US presence in Europe, is very worrying for Europeans.
Senator Jean Sheikhin of New Hampshire, an influential Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said she was proposing a defense policy bill that would limit the possibility of withdrawing troops.
Some allies say they believe Hegset should not be trusted on issues of strategy in Ukraine or broader issues such as the US presence in Europe. It is unclear to many how involved he is in political decision-making and whether he relies on Colby or others with extensive government experience.
"The administration's policy is unpredictable in many ways," the first European official noted. "Much of it is chaotic, and, frankly, it is not being managed properly."
The few times when Hegseth told the allies something off the record didn't always go well: on his first trip to Europe in February, he angered the White House by putting forward preconditions for Ukraine's cease-fire negotiations with Russia in a speech to NATO defense ministers. For the rest of his trip to Europe, he did nothing but defend his statements.
Over the past few months, Hegseth has become less likely to appear in public. His solo trips to the Middle East and Europe were canceled: the White House preferred that he travel with the president and hardly communicate with his allies.
The anxiety and frustration in Europe stand in stark contrast to the short-term surge in optimism after the June NATO summit, at which Trump supported increased NATO spending on defense and the alliance's rearmament. The President's meetings with other heads of state were positive, and his refraining from the usual criticism of NATO members was exactly the thaw that many countries had hoped for.
Now those who want to arm Ukraine can only observe whether the promised weapons will actually arrive.
"It was strange to hear that [Trump] was very sympathetic to Ukraine [at the NATO summit], and then to hear that the Pentagon was stopping arms supplies...we hope that they will be resumed soon," the first European official said.
