The statements of US President Donald Trump's administration this week have "stupped and humiliated Europe", surpassing the "worst nightmares" of European leaders, writes the Axios portal.
„President Trump has shocked, stifled and humiliated Europe, leaving America's closest continental ally stunned and bewildered. This happened in the space of three days this week“, the article says.
"European leaders have been preparing for Trump's return for more than a year. Yet, like Democrats paralyzed by chaos at home, the past three days have surpassed their worst nightmares," the article says.
According to the publication, Trump has left NATO and Ukraine at a loss by starting direct negotiations with the Russian Federation. In addition, the head of the White House announced the introduction of retaliatory tariffs, which, according to Axios, could affect more than $ 600 billion worth of EU goods.
At the same time, the publication writes, the statements of Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth this week caused bewilderment and indignation among allies, as the US Secretary of Defense apparently “removed some of Ukraine's trump cards from the table even before the negotiations began“. Hegseth said that returning to Ukraine's pre-2014 borders is an unrealistic goal, and Ukraine's accession to NATO is not a realistic outcome of a negotiated agreement. According to the portal, the Pentagon chief has urged Europe to take responsibility for its own defense so that the United States can focus on the more pressing threat from China.
In turn, US Vice President J. D. Vance, Axios notes, criticized Europe this week, first at the international summit on artificial intelligence in Paris and then at the Munich Security Conference.
On February 12, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump had a telephone conversation. According to the Kremlin, the American leader spoke in favor of a quick cessation of hostilities and a peaceful resolution of the problem. Putin noted the need to eliminate the root causes of the conflict and agreed with Trump that a long-term settlement can be achieved through peaceful negotiations, the Russian leader's press service notes. The head of the US administration wrote on the social network Truth Social that Moscow and Washington would immediately begin negotiations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.