Europe must step up after Trump's shift on Ukraine, Berlin says

German minister urges allies to review financial, military options for Ukraine

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Europe must “grow up” and step up its support for Ukraine after comments by US President Donald Trump backing Kyiv to take back all of its territory from Russia, Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Sept 24.

Speaking to Germany’s Deutschlandfunk radio, Mr Wadephul said Mr Trump had realised that his own efforts had failed to persuade Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.

Mr Trump’s remarks on Truth Social marked an abrupt and major rhetorical shift for the US leader who had previously nudged Ukraine to give up territory to end the war and had rolled out the red carpet for Mr Putin in Alaska in August.

But it was not immediately clear whether Mr Trump would back up his words with a shift in US policy, an ambiguity that could keep the onus on Europe to meet more of Ukraine’s needs through weapons and financing as Washington’s role recedes.