Wake-up call served by US rants and Ukrainian reality

Befuddled by the reality of their new relationship with Washington, it took a Ukrainian to spell out the obvious truth to European leaders at the Munich Security Conference yesterday.

- SAM KILEY WORLD AFFAIRS EDITOR

“I really believe that time has come,” said Volodymyr Zelensky. “The armed forces of Europe must be created.”

Driving home the point, Ukraine’s president added: “The old days are over when America supported Europe just because it always had.”

Nato members now know that they cannot rely on America. They will now have to reluctantly inch towards upping their defence spending and organising their defence of Europe – independently of the US.

“We need to prepare. We will have to face difficult days, make complicated decisions and even sacrifices which we weren’t expecting until now to ensure this security,” said the French foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot.

There should have been nothing shocking about Donald Trump siding with Russia ahead of “peace talks” over Ukraine with Vladimir Putin, that will exclude Ukraine. Yet America’s European allies were reeling from revelations that were nothing of the sort.

In demanding Europe pay its way in Nato, Trump’s defence secretary and vice-president were merely amplifying what the president had successfully campaigned for in his last administration.