US President Donald Trump’s recent rhetoric on the Russo-Ukrainian conflict has raised eyebrows across the Atlantic. After meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on September 23, 2025, Trump labeled Russia a “paper tiger” and expressed confidence that Ukraine could “reclaim” disputed territories. This blunt departure from his earlier calls for territorial concessions has sparked speculation: is this a genuine shift, or a calculated ploy to further offload Ukrainian “burden” onto Europe? Given Trump’s modus operandi — often characterized by “bullying” and unpredictable turns — the latter seems not just plausible, but probable.

One should always keep in mind that Trump’s ego has long been a driving force in his political theater. As political commentator Arnaud Bertrand sharply observes, if a Ukrainian victory were somehow truly on the horizon, would a man of Trump’s stature willingly step back and just let Europe claim the glory, from a Western perspective? Hardly. “If so, I have a bridge to sell you…” Bertrand quips on X. This skepticism in fact makes a lot of sense.

Trump’s sudden optimism about Ukraine’s chances therefore looks less like a genuine strategic shift and more like a calculated trick — meant to draw European leaders deeper into an expensive quagmire while allowing the US to keep distance.

The mechanics of this shift are telling. Trump’s latest line insists that US weapons support will flow through NATO allies, with $500 million in transfers already greenlit, as I’ve written. Yet, he’s quick to emphasize that the financial load should fall on European taxpayers, not the US budget. This is........

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