The EU is pushing against Trump to extend its hand to Putin: "We must pressure the aggressor, not the victim"

The EU is pushing against Trump to extend the hand to Putin: "We must pressure the aggressor, not the victim" EU leaders discuss ways to increase support for Kyiv amid the uncertainty of the Trump administration - CAST - ENG A clear message from the European Union to Donald Trump. The community leaders disapprove of the North American administration's decision to relax sanctions on Russia by releasing Russian diesel. Trump's move, which aims to lower fuel prices one month before the midterm elections in the United States, has hit Europe like a cold splash of water, as it goes against the entire architecture of sanctions. "We have a different focus regarding this war," said the head of European diplomacy, Kaja Kallas, at the opening of the EU leaders' summit, who defended that "we must pressure the aggressor to stop the war, not the victim to surrender." "Starving Ukraine is not the right focus," she added. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, traveled to Brussels today to meet with the leaders of the European Union at a time when the support of the North American administration is weakening. Zelenskyy met with the NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, the French President, Emmanuel Macron, and the first ministers of Poland, Denmark, and Belgium, to convey that more pressure on Russia and more defensive support for Ukraine are needed. Kyiv has watched with concern how this week the Trump administration has put its particular political interests above firmness with Moscow. The latest decision that has caused trouble is the Starlink satellites – a vital network for communications on the battlefield and with drones – which Kyiv denounces as being blocked by Washington. Before these circumstances, the member states have banded together to support Ukraine. Avoiding direct confrontation with the United States, they have made it clear, however, that they disapprove of their strategy. "I see the US as a partner, a strong ally, as NATO is [...], but sometimes good friends need a reminder of what is right," stated Kristen Michal, the Prime Minister of Estonia, in reference to Trump. In the same vein, the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, expressed regret that Trump's agreement is worsening the alliance with Washington. "We are worse than a few days ago," she said. Less beer, more defense To cope with the costs associated with defending Ukraine – especially in a context where US support is doubtful – some leaders have called for an increase in the budget for this. The Netherlands, for example, have asked their partners to increase their contributions. "I ask all European leaders to make more financial [...], because many European countries are falling short in their support for Ukraine," assured their Prime Minister, Rob Jetten. One of the most curious demands in this regard has been made by the Prime Minister of Lithuania, Andris Kulbergs, who proposed renouncing drinking beer to allocate more resources to defense. He said that "one less beer for each European in the year" would help cover the cost of the war. While for Europeans, beer is just "an expense," in Ukraine, he says, "it is a matter of life or death." "If we drink less, lives are saved. It's that simple," he protested. During the meeting in the community capital, the EU leaders had to address how they provide for the urgent needs of Ukraine's critical infrastructures in the face of Russian attacks, especially against energy plants, and they had to review European financial and military support, including the €90 billion loan agreed for Ukraine. They also talked about response instruments against Russia's hybrid actions, such as drone incursions, sabotage, cyberattacks, and disinformation operations. In this regard, the Bulgarian Prime Minister, Rumen Radev, stated that his country will work with Romania to present a proposal to the EU leaders to stop drone attacks against civilian vessels in the Black Sea. To address this issue, the two leaders met on Thursday with NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, who showed a willingness to "adjust" the deterrence and defense posture of the Alliance "where necessary." The Romanian leader assured that these attacks are a Russian attempt to destabilize the eastern flank of NATO. After the interview published Thursday in the Financial Times, in which Zelenskyy attacks Trump and calls him an admirer of Vladimir Putin, the same rotation reports that the European leaders want to ask the Ukrainian president to moderate public criticism of his North American counterpart. They fear that the deterioration of the relationship between Washington and Kyiv is further harming Ukraine, which remains dependent on American intelligence and Western military support.