In the end, the great Anchorage face-off was a muddled affair. But whatever Presidents Putin and Trump did or didn’t agree about the fate of Ukraine over nearly three hours of talks, one thing remains clear: Europe wasn’t in the room.
Sir Keir Starmer and other European leaders were reassured by Trump’s Alaska statement that the US is prepared to give security guarantees as part of a peace deal in Ukraine. The prime minister called this “important progress” and “crucial in deterring Putin from coming back for more”.
But the underlying trend remains: America’s uncoupling from European security continues and it is increasingly apparent that if Europe wishes to be the master of its own fate, it will need to completely transform its approach to defending itself.
