The shock over the escalating dispute between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi has left a deep impression worldwide. Instead of adopting a diplomatic stance before the signing of the planned raw materials agreement, Trump and his Vice President James David Vance presented themselves as supposed supporters of Russian President Vladimir Putin and publicly exposed Zelenskyi. Also for the NATO this dispute could have serious consequences.

Anyone who dismisses the dispute between Trump and Zelensky as a purely personal power struggle is overlooking the signs of the times. Even in the weeks before, the US President hardly missed any opportunities to discredit his Ukrainian counterpart – he verbally attacked Zelensky at every available opportunity. And when things really got down to business in the Oval Office, Trump and Vance pushed the Ukrainian head of state to the sidelines like young bullies, with even his style of dress becoming the target of mocking remarks. Despite everything, Selensky kept his composure for a surprisingly long time.

What followed was unprecedented on the diplomatic stage. Selensky tried to defend himself, but was repeatedly put in his place by Trump and Vance. Trump almost seemed to enjoy the spectacle and was delighted with the “good pictures for TV” at the end, demonstrating that he had long ceased to be interested in big politics. Perhaps he has never been interested? The only thing that matters to him is business – and from his perspective, Ukraine seems to be an “ungrateful counterpart” that will come to its senses if US support fails to materialize in the coming days and weeks.

As a result, the raw materials deal remained unsigned. The press conference planned after the meeting in the Oval Office was canceled and Zelensky left. While the champagne corks must have been popping in the Kremlin, the mood among the European heads of state and government was probably quite different. After all, Trump had not only publicly exposed Zelensky, but had also shaken the foundations of the transatlantic alliance that had been established and practised for decades.

What value does the partnership still have when a US president calls alliances into question at will and ties his support to commodity deals and other business advantages? A US president who openly sides with Moscow also undermines the credibility of the entire security alliance and destabilizes the strategic structure that has protected Europe from aggressive expansionist ambitions for decades.

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Europe must therefore finally massively strengthen its own defense capabilities and establish independent security structures. Otherwise, we risk that the continent will be barely recognizable at the end of the imminent global power shifts. With every further provocation, the end of NATO as we know it becomes more tangible – although the question already arises as to whether the military alliance will be able to survive three years after the start of the Ukraine war (-> current news from the Ukraine war) can be saved at all.

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