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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
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Stephen Wertheim

Is Europe misunderstanding Trump’s position on Ukraine?

two men between an american flag and a ukrainian flag
‘Ukraine, Europe, and the United States must use their leverage at the negotiating table to get Russia to stop fighting without requiring Ukraine to disarm.’ Photograph: Carol Guzy/ZUMA Press Wire/REX/Shutterstock

A high-stakes transatlantic miscommunication is unfolding, with the potential to produce far worse consequences than the Oval Office contretemps between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In the past month, the Trump administration has delivered several strong and sometimes conflicting messages to America’s allies and partners in Europe. Discerning the signal in the noise isn’t easy, but amid the zigs, zags and bombast, the new administration appears to be taking a position that Ukrainian and European leaders aren’t hearing – or are trying to alter.

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