It is now quite evident that Trump will offer Putin at the negotiating table what Putin failed to achieve on the battlefield. In a statement, Trump echoed Russian propaganda, accusing Ukraine of starting the war. In recent days, Europe, backed by allies such as Turkey, has stated that it will not accept territorial concessions without security guarantees for Ukraine and, most importantly, without also consulting Ukraine.
But that is not going to happen, and everything suggests that Trump is determined to please Putin—whatever his secret reason may be. In this scenario, what will the Europeans and their allies do? Will they take on the mission of defending Ukraine themselves, or will they hand it over to Putin on a silver platter and wait for the next Russian invasion?