US President Donald Trump’s transactional form of politics is waking up Europe from its slumber. At his address to the Conservative Political Action Conference (C-PAC) on February 22, he blamed the previous President Joe Biden for involving the US so heavily in Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion. He wants Europe to share the burden and contribute more money to aid Ukraine than the US. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth further echoed this at a defence summit in Brussels stating that safeguarding European security must be an imperative for European members of NATO and that Europe must provide the overwhelming share of future lethal and non-lethal aid to Ukraine. He also said it was unrealistic to expect Ukraine to return to its pre-2014 borders and downplayed the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO.
In his earlier term in office, President Trump made it clear that Europe must spend 2 per cent of its GDP on defence and not rely on the United States to foot the bill. It is common sense for Trump not to involve Europe, as of now, in the table for negotiations over the Russia-Ukraine conflict when the parties to the conflict are Russians and Ukrainians and not the Europeans. Though Europeans are funding the war and providing armaments to Ukraine, it is the prerogative of Ukraine to settle a deal in its national interest devoid of further casualties. Russia is looking at the conflict to contain European influence in its neighbourhood. Europeans led by France went in for a huddle when they were not invited to US-brokered peace talks with Russia in Saudi Arabia. Europe is left in a lurch to pool its resources and stand in solidarity with Ukraine as the US expects a deal on Ukraine’s critical minerals for its security guarantees.
In a speech at the 61st Munich Security Conference on February 14, US Vice President JD Vance told Europe in no uncertain terms that Europe’s problem lies within its backsliding on freedom of speech, democracy and xenophobic fears, and realities of mass immigration. His speech did unsettle Europeans at the conference as many sat stony-faced. The voice of dissent in the rise of far-right in European countries including Germany, France and Italy is to acknowledge the pitfalls of immigration, the fragility of West European economies at large and lay grounded in the voices and aspirations of European citizenry.
The EU and its member countries have provided Ukraine with $ 198 billion in financial, military, humanitarian, and refugee assistance. NATO Allies and partners have contributed $ 990 million. The United States has spent $ 175 billion
Military and Financial aid to Ukraine
As per available statistics on the webpage of the Delegation of European Union to America, the EU and its members have provided close to $ 198 billion as per a briefing note on February 21 in financial, military, humanitarian, and refugee assistance. As of February 2025, NATO Allies and partners have contributed over $ 990 million to the Ukraine Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP) Trust Fund. The United States has spent close to $ 175 billion, according to an estimate cited in an article by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR).
The Biden administration provided many defence capabilities, including Abrams battle tanks, anti-aircraft missiles, artillery shells, cluster munitions, coastal defence ships, F-16 fighter jets and advanced surveillance and radar systems. In early 2024, the Biden administration reportedly started supplying Ukraine with significant numbers of long-range precision missiles, known as ATACMS that can strike targets nearly 322 km away. The UK and France supplied Ukraine with Storm Shadow or Scalp missiles that have a maximum range of around 250 km, which Ukraine reportedly fired into Russian territory. According to figures from the Kiel Institute, European nations have sent more than 200 German-made Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 tanks.
US, EU Citizens’ voices on aid to Ukraine
The Public Opinion Poll Monitoring Unit surveyed citizens’ insight into Russia’s war against Ukraine between December 8, 2023, and February 21, 2024. Opinions in the US are split, with 22% favouring an increase in military aid, 28% favouring a decrease, and 27% advocating for the current level. Another survey in the US came to similar results; about three in ten Americans (31%) observed that the United States is providing too much assistance to Ukraine in its fight against Russia, while 29% say that the US is providing the right amount of support and 18% say the US is not providing enough. The share of Americans who say the US is giving too much support to Ukraine has grown steadily throughout the war, especially among Republicans.
EU countries against the policy of military aid to Ukraine include Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Slovakia, apart from non-EU members Serbia and Belarus. In Germany, two-thirds of West Germans agree with the policy, while only a third of East Germans do
It is pertinent to ask how far voters in European countries would continue to support the war efforts for the Ukraine conflict amidst domestic crises of unemployment and societal discontent. Nearly 55% of EU citizens agree with providing weapons to Ukraine, even though data indicate a downward trend in support for this measure over time. Support for financial and military aid has decreased by 9 percentage points (pp) and 8 pp at the EU level, respectively, according to a trend analysis of Standard Eurobarometer surveys.
On a country level, in Germany, there is increased scepticism about financial aid, with 41% considering it excessive, and 80% doubting the EU’s ability to compensate for any reduction in American aid to Ukraine. 60% of Italians disagree with the idea of the EU offering weapons to Ukraine. In France, 20% of respondents support France in increasing its military and strategic support for Ukraine, with 39% preferring a reduction or an end to this assistance and 26% think support should be continued at current levels. In Hungary, 74% oppose the idea of EU Member States providing additional funding for military equipment to Ukraine, while only 22% find it acceptable.
According to Statista, EU countries that are sceptical of the EU’s policy of military aid to Ukraine include Cyprus, Bulgaria, and Slovakia, apart from non-EU member countries of Serbia and Belarus. Germany has a geographical split in its opinion towards Ukraine, as two-thirds of West Germans agree with the policy, while only a third of East Germans do. This divide has its historical roots in the division of the country during the Cold War, when East Germany (the German Democratic Republic) was within the Soviet Union’s sphere of influence, which has left a lasting effect on some East Germans’ sympathy for Russia’s position, or at least scepticism towards funding and arming Ukraine in its conflict with Russia.
As the war of words rages between President Trump and President Zelensky, the effect of Ukraine’s response to European support would be interesting to observe. Meanwhile, Russia gets an opportunity to rekindle its frosty relations with the US
Conclusion
The Trump administration is being transactional and placing the onus on Europeans to provide more for Ukraine’s defence and security. The United States wants to get its deal and not be heavily involved in the conflict. As the war of words rages between President Trump and President Zelenskyy, it would be interesting to observe the ripple effects of Ukrainian responses with/without European support. As war on the ground prolongs, citizens of Europe may go delusional about supporting war efforts at the cost of its floundering democracies. Russia in the meantime sees this as an opportunity to rekindle its frosty relations with the United States and reclaim its place in international politics, notwithstanding Europe’s opposition for the same.
–The writer is Assistant Professor, ICFAI School of Liberal Arts, ICFAI University, Jaipur. The views expressed are of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of Raksha Anirveda
