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Ahead of the long-awaited meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine, Europeans coordinated with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Trump. The result was a five-point plan that the U.S. president largely supports, according to Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Of course, Europeans believe they are on the same page with Trump. But does the Republican really take Europeans seriously? One security expert doubts this. Rafael Loss of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) believes that the US president wants to use the Trump-Putin summit to his advantage.
Trump's main concern is not a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine, but rather strengthening his personal relationship with Vladimir Putin. He is concerned about the economic relationship between Russia and the United States, as well as his own personal advantage, Loss said in an interview with n-tv. "Above all, Trump is concerned about deals with Putin that bring profits to his clan without regard for the American economy as a whole or the national interest," he added.
Loss cited the example of arms aid to Ukraine combined with tariffs, which also make US-made weapons more expensive due to international supply chains. This means that Europeans can buy less for their money. What may seem contradictory at first glance, for Loss is calculated. Trump is using these contradictions "to create uncertainty in bilateral negotiations, which in turn can serve as various levers to negotiate profitable deals," the security expert explained.
For Europe, this poses the risk that Trump, who surprised everyone with his statements about security guarantees for Ukraine, will not adhere to the positions discussed with European leaders during his meeting with Putin. Ultimately, everything depends on Trump's personal mood "and his personal interests, which may not coincide with the national interests of the United States as they have traditionally been," Loss said.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin announced details of the meeting in Alaska. Putin's foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, told Russian news agencies that the meeting was about "solving the Ukraine crisis" on the one hand, but also about the "huge untapped potential" of Russian-American economic relations.
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