As U.S. Pivots to Russia, Ukraine Pitches ‘Armed Forces of Europe’

BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT — As the Trump administration moves sharply towards Russia, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has made a plea to his allies in Europe: the continent, he says, needs an “armed forces of Europe.” 

It’s a bold idea, and it comes at an unprecedented moment for Ukraine and for the U.S.-Europe alliance. In the last two weeks, President Trump has branded Zelensky a “dictator” and blamed him for starting the war; senior U.S. officials have opened negotiations to end the war in Ukraine and said Europeans have no place at the table; and Vice President JD Vance has criticized European democracy. On Monday, the U.S. broke from its European allies and voted against a United Nations resolution that labeled Russia the aggressor in Ukraine.