Europe Faces Strategic Isolation Defending Ukraine Amid Waning U.S. Support

President Donald Trump and European leaders recently met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss Ukraine's future amid ongoing conflict with Russia, but their talks sparked criticism for focusing on partition plans and land swaps rather than Ukraine's self-determination. Western allies, including the US and Europe, have devised a three-tier defense strategy for Ukraine involving a demilitarized zone with peacekeepers, a stable Ukrainian border defended by NATO-trained troops, and European forces supported by the US positioned deeper in Ukraine. Despite this, US Vice President JD Vance emphasized that Europe must bear the primary responsibility for Ukraine's post-war security, with Trump ruling out deploying US troops but promising air support and other assistance. European leaders face internal challenges in coordinating defense efforts, as some oppose deploying troops to Ukraine, while intelligence sharing with the US has been restricted, contributing to Europe's strategic isolation. Former Ukrainian officials stress that Ukraine's security lies in Euro-Atlantic integration and becoming part of the Western alliance, viewing this as the only viable path to achieving relative security. Overall, the West's approach reflects a complex balance between supporting Ukraine militarily and politically while managing divergent interests and commitments among allies.