Trump has switched sides in Ukraine, so Europe must fund its own defence regardless of US politics
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/jonathanfreedland. "Of course Trump is helping Russia in Ukraine – he’s a master of the art of betrayal | Jonathan Freedland | The Guardian." October 16, 2026. www.theguardian.com
The Gist
The author says Trump has clearly sided with Putin against Ukraine, cutting Ukraine's access to key tech and intelligence while giving Russia money. Since Russia is a real threat and America can't be counted on even after Trump, Britain and Europe should stop depending on the US and spend whatever is needed to defend themselves and Ukraine.
Conclusion
Because the United States under Trump has effectively aligned with Russia against Ukraine, and this shift is likely permanent, Britain and Europe must keep supporting Ukraine and spend whatever it takes to build independent defence capabilities.
Premises
- Trump has recently taken concrete actions that weaken Ukraine and help Russia: restricting Ukraine's military-grade Starlink (Starshield) use, apparently withholding advance intelligence warnings of Russian strikes, buying $4bn of Russian diesel in breach of the sanctions regime, and inviting Putin to the G20 at his Florida golf club.
- These actions, together with the February 2025 Oval Office humiliation of Zelenskyy, show that Trump is not a neutral mediator but a partner of Putin, so the most powerful member of the western alliance is at best unreliable and at worst in league with its chief enemy.
- Russia is a serious and active threat to NATO states, as shown by 151 confirmed sabotage incidents in Europe since 2022, reported assassination plots against defence executives, and MI5's description of Russia as 'aggressor number one'.
- A Democratic win in the midterms will not restore the old transatlantic relationship: a constrained Trump may become a 'cornered animal' in foreign policy, and Trump has shown that Trumpism can recur, so the western alliance is vulnerable to US political shifts.
- The Starlink episode shows that dependence on US hardware and software is dangerous because the US retains an 'off switch', so Europe can no longer rely on others for its defence.
Assumptions
- Trump's actions are deliberate pro-Russian choices rather than ad hoc, transactional, or domestically motivated decisions.
- The reported facts (Starshield order, intelligence pause, diesel purchase) are accurate and are correctly interpreted as hostile to Ukraine.
- US unreliability is structural and long-term, not tied to one administration.
- Increased European defence spending is feasible and would be effective in deterring Russia.
- Higher defence spending is worth its economic and political costs, including trade-offs with other budget priorities.
- Europe cannot rely on a non-US-dependent alternative arrangement, such as a continued but renegotiated US commitment, to achieve security more cheaply.