Iryna Nesterova16:52, 20.09.25

The Pentagon warned European partners that they need to reduce their dependence on the United States.

US President Donald Trump, after aggressive efforts to resolve the war in Ukraine and the conflict in Gaza, is moving away from direct diplomacy, handing the initiative to allies and focusing on domestic issues. This is causing concern in Europe, as such a position of the head of the White House could fuel the Kremlin’s aggression, writes Reuters .

As the publication noted, citing a knowledgeable official, in late August, Pentagon representatives met with a group of European diplomats and warned them: the US plans to stop some security assistance to Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia – NATO member states bordering Russia.

In particular, Pentagon spokesman David Baker, according to Reuters, stated that Europe needs to reduce its dependence on the United States, saying that the United States will switch its attention to other – domestic – priorities.

It is noted that European diplomats feared that this fact could encourage greater aggression by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, and it seems they were right. The publication recalled that on September 19, Russian MiG-31 fighter jets invaded Estonian airspace, and before that, Russian drones attacked Poland.Read also:

Meanwhile, the US president’s reaction to these incidents has been rather restrained, and as Reuters noted, it fits into a new trend. And this trend is that if just a few months ago Trump tried to resolve or at least mediate the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, in recent weeks he has largely moved away from diplomacy, and instead has allowed, and in some cases even called on, allies to take the initiative, offering only distant promises of support from the US.

According to veteran American diplomacy, Carnegie Endowment Senior Fellow Aaron David Miller, Trump may have simply realized that these conflicts are much more complex than he imagined.

“He’s not interested in doing something unless he sees that the effort and political capital spent will bring tangible returns,” Miller noted.

Regarding the negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, as Reuters writes, the US president publicly stated in the spring that he might withdraw from them, but he did not withdraw, and some American weapons even began to arrive in Ukraine as part of the PURL program.

However, analysts believe that the US’s sluggish response to Russia’s latest provocations will only push Putin to take even more aggressive actions.

“Further US disengagement will lead to more provocative moves by Putin, as he will see Europe as weaker because of its disunity – especially without US support,” said Alex Plitsas, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council.

Several European diplomats in Washington admitted to the publication that they are exhausted by how often Trump’s position on Russia changes, and noted that his recent statements about dissatisfaction with what Putin is doing are unconvincing.

Reuters writes that Trump also argues for the US refusal to help Europe by saying that European countries themselves “finance the Russian war machine” by buying Russian oil, although they seek to end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible. European officials told the publication that this is exactly what the US president emphasized in a telephone conversation with European partners on September 4.

Some diplomats see a trap in Trump’s demand for Europe, as it is difficult to quickly adopt such measures within the EU’s bureaucratic structures.

Putin is attacked by NATO countries: how does Trump react?

As UNIAN previously reported, on September 10, Russian drones invaded Polish airspace. Prime Minister Donald Tusk admitted on the same day that these were Russian strike drones. He stated that the threat was eliminated thanks to the decisive actions of our commanders, soldiers, pilots and allies,” Tusk said.

Trump’s reaction to the Russian “Shaheed” attack on Poland was limited to a short message on the social network Truth Social. “What is this violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones? It has begun!” the head of the White House wrote.

On September 19, three Russian Kinzhal missile carriers violated Estonian airspace. The MiG-31s ​​initially flew towards the capital Tallinn and then circled for about 12 minutes before Italian F-35s were scrambled to intercept them. European foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas called the incident an “extremely dangerous provocation.”

Trump also reacted to the Russian fighter jets flying over Estonia with a rather restrained tone. “I don’t like it when that happens. It could be a big problem. I’m going to be reported on it,” he told reporters.

(c)UNIAN 2025