A symbol of American power, the Oval Office witnessed last Friday a confrontation unlike any seen in recent memory. The whole world observed a tense exchange between an American president and the leader of a war-torn ally, as the former delivered a momentous declaration: “You either make a deal or we are out. It was more than a diplomatic breakdown; it signalled a major shift in U.S. policy regarding European security. Trump’s recent overtures to Russian President Vladimir Putin have left Kyiv and its European allies on edge. Positioning himself as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine, the U.S. president has sidelined the traditional leadership roles of the West while prioritising reconciliation with Moscow. With Europe now poised to fill the void, the aftermath of this meeting reveals a broader truth: the unravelling of long-standing alliances and the dawn of an era where Europe must assume responsibility for its defence. Europe now confronts a formidable task once more. Not merely for Ukraine, but for the very future of democracy, territorial integrity, and the liberal world order, the stakes are profound. This event is more than a tale of diplomatic discord; it is a critical juncture capable of reshaping the European and global balance of power.

What made this fiery White House meeting extraordinary was not just its public nature but the American president’s apparent alignment with Russia over a democratic ally striving to join NATO. At the heart of the West, NATO’s core members have long been united by a shared perception of the Soviet Union as a threat and commitment to liberal principles of democracy, free elections, and the rule of law, both domestically and internationally. This values-based community contrasts with Donald Trump, his team, and the US far........

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