Donald Trump has sold out Ukraine. He makes Chamberlain look like a man of iron principle | Simon Tisdall
US-Russian talks are at an advanced stage to agree on terms for a precedent-setting American sell-out of Ukraine, following meetings in St Petersburg this week.
Historical comparisons are always inexact, yet Donald Trump's shameless appeasement of Vladimir Putin carries more than a noxious whiff of Neville Chamberlain's failed attempt in Munich in 1938 to head off war with Nazi Germany. Trump enjoys no equivalent public support for his treachery, nor does he face the prospect of a US war with Russia. His betrayal of Ukraine is cynically self-interested, globally dangerous and utterly contemptible.
Trump's Motivations
Trump has zigzagged over the war since returning to office, now panicked by record-low poll ratings and determined to scapegoat Ukraine. His recent steps include funding Putin's war machine by buying Russian diesel, waiving tougher sanctions, interrupting US satellite and intelligence sharing with Kyiv, and attempting to oust Ukraine's president.
He makes Chamberlain look like a man of iron principle. All that's lacking is an umbrella.
Dangerous Consequences
Trump's betrayal could be fatal for Ukraine's bid to repel Russian invaders. For much of this year, Ukraine has been winning or holding its own in contested lands, using homemade missiles and drones to attack Russia's industrial heartlands. Zelenskyy has also been winning the battle for international opinion, particularly in Europe.
Trump's perfidy imperils everyone. If Ukraine falls, it will haunt Europe for decades, as Czechoslovakia did after 1938. His pact with Putin may fatally compromise the western alliance and spell the end of NATO as an effective defense against eastern totalitarianism.
European Response
Britain and its European allies can no longer afford to hold back. Indignant speeches at the UN will not suffice. Leaders like Andy Burnham, Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz and Mark Carney must confront Trump head-on, even at the cost of a definitive break with Washington.
The UK, EU and NATO member states, Japan, South Korea and other like-minded countries are far from powerless. Burnham could start by ordering the closure of US military bases in Britain, seen as offensive symbols of a hostile occupying power. Trump's treachery must not stand.
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