Europe Tries to Convince Trump on Ukraine, But Will It Work?
According to BBC, European leaders recently met in London’s Lancaster House, a grand old building, to discuss how to help Ukraine. The sun was shining, but there was still a big question hanging over the meeting: Was this effort really going to change anything?
One major concern was whether the U.S., under Trump, had already decided to handle the Ukraine war on its own. The new UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, made it clear that Europe still has a role to play. He said Britain, France, and others would work together on a plan to stop the fighting in Ukraine before discussing it with the U.S. BBC explained that the UK and France have even offered to send troops to Ukraine to help protect it from Russia.
During the meeting, European Commission leader Ursula von der Leyen used an interesting phrase. She said Ukraine should become a “steel porcupine”—meaning a country so well defended that no enemy would dare attack it. BBC reported that the goal was to show Trump that Europe is serious about defending Ukraine.
So far, however, Trump has a different idea. BBC explained that instead of military support, he believes American mining companies in Ukraine would be enough to keep peace with Russia. But Starmer disagrees. He said that for any peace deal to work, the U.S. must be involved.
This meeting in London was also about fixing the tense relationship between Europe and the U.S. Recently, BBC noted that Trump’s team has been criticizing European leaders, even questioning their commitment to democracy. Some of Trump’s allies, like billionaire Elon Musk, have even suggested that America should leave NATO—a military alliance that protects many countries, including Ukraine.
Diplomats at the summit stood firm in their support for Ukraine, and BBC highlighted that Europe is now stepping up to take charge of the diplomacy. But there’s one problem: Trump and his deputy don’t trust Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky. In fact, some in Trump’s camp believe Zelensky should resign before any peace deal happens.
So what happens next? BBC reported that Europe has made its stance clear—it will keep helping Ukraine. But everything still depends on what Trump decides. Will he support Europe’s plan, or will he continue to go his own way?
Right now, that remains a big question mark.
Credit : BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn04551n6wpo