Just weeks into his second term, President Donald Trump has made his stance on Europe abundantly clear—though his delivery leaves much to be desired for many of Washington’s allies on the continent.
During the Munich Security Conference held in southern Germany this weekend, few European officials were prepared for Vice President JD Vance’s blunt address, which sought to reprimand those seated in front of him.
Vance declared that Europe’s greatest adversary was not Russia, China, North Korea, or Iran, but rather an enemy “within.” He painted a stark picture of a continent where free speech and democracy are under threat, largely bypassing the conference’s key topics, such as Ukraine and defense expenditure.
According to Oleksiy Goncharenko, a Ukrainian legislator, the audience displayed “genuine shock,” despite efforts by high-ranking officials to downplay the surprising rhetoric, as he told Newsweek.
Joshua Walker, a former official in both the State and Defense Departments and now leading the Japan Society nonprofit, pointed out that Vance’s remarks resonated with Americans but left many Europeans feeling blindsided. “I just don’t think the Europeans knew what hit them,” he said, noting that many attendees appeared “distraught.”
Financier and prominent Putin critic Bill Browder claimed, “They will be writing about this weekend in history books,” adding that Vance’s remarks were “red meat for their base in Indiana and Arkansas” rather than aimed at winning over European hearts and minds.
In just a few days, several of Trump’s leading officials have outlined the U.S.’s new foreign policy strategy. As anticipated, the White House has signaled its impatience with Europe’s reliance on Washington to shoulder most of the defense spending. European officials acknowledged this without hesitation, candidly recognizing that the continent has been regrettably lackadaisical.
Consensus emerged among officials that the U.S. is justified in making these demands, and Europe needs to significantly boost its military spending beyond NATO’s current target of 2 percent of a member state’s gross domestic product (GDP).
However, Trump’s vision for a ceasefire in Ukraine amidst its ongoing conflict with Russia remains unclear, much to the perplexity and frustration of European officials. While some current Ukrainian and European leaders described the conference as productive, there was a sense that expectations had been set significantly higher.
Goncharenko remarked, “The weekend has been a cold shower for Europeans here. They realized how much is at stake.”
THOMAS KIENZLE/AFP via Getty Images
Confusion Over Ukraine
Notably missing from Vance’s critique was any mention of Ukraine, which was a central topic of the conference.
“We clearly understood what the U.S. administration desires, but it didn’t relate to the war in Ukraine,” said former Spanish foreign affairs minister Arancha González Laya in a comment to Newsweek.
He noted a stark absence of specific commitments, which contrasted with the expectations that attendees had for more substantive contributions regarding Ukraine and its European supporters, as Walker pointed out.
Estonia’s foreign minister, Margus Tsahkna, stated, “We all expected him to address the situation, but he didn’t mention anything about that.”
Trump has previously asserted he could resolve the nearly three-year-long conflict in Ukraine within a day. Though many regarded this assertion as unrealistic, the attendees at the Munich conference widely believed it indicated a firm commitment to resolving Europe’s largest land conflict since World War II.
What remains elusive is a clear strategy from the president detailing how he intends to achieve this.
Concerns grew among European officials that they might be excluded from ongoing negotiations, a sentiment seemingly validated by comments from Trump’s envoy for Ukraine and Russia, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, during the weekend.
Speaking at a side event with Ukrainians and various European leaders, Kellogg suggested that European representatives would not join Washington, Kyiv, and Moscow at the negotiating table, asserting their “interests” would still be represented.
Current and former European officials reacted negatively to this remark. However, some speculate that his comments could be aimed at rallying a fragmented Europe, with the continent’s importance hinging on a unified investment in defense.
Walker commented, “You can’t misinterpret what’s being communicated. It’s either step up or you can’t lead.”
Polish foreign minister Radosław Sikorski is reported to have relayed Kellogg’s explanation about the U.S.’s negotiation approach as “unorthodox” to a “circle of European allies,” but he withheld additional details.
It appears the U.S. has dismissed the possibility of Ukrainian membership in NATO, which Kyiv has strongly advocated. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently mentioned in Brussels that it would be “unrealistic” for Ukraine to regain control over its pre-2014 borders.
Additionally, Washington has distanced itself from the idea of deploying American troops on the ground to enforce a ceasefire.
With a strong implication that European forces would oversee any potential ceasefire, officials in Europe are left questioning how the U.S. could effectively exclude the continent from forthcoming discussions.
Negotiations are set to happen in Saudi Arabia, with U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff involved and Kellogg indicating he is in talks with Russian representatives, alongside national security adviser Mike Waltz.
Meanwhile, European officials, including British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, are scheduled to meet in Paris on Monday for separate discussions regarding Ukraine. French President Emmanuel Macron announced on social media that he spoke with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to discuss the “critical role” the kingdom could play in establishing a stable and lasting peace, with Europeans at the forefront of the process.
Confusion persists regarding Ukraine’s participation in talks in Saudi Arabia, as Yulia Svyrydenko, Kyiv’s economy minister, posted images on social media suggesting a Ukrainian delegation was preparing for President Volodymyr Zelensky’s attendance. However, Andriy Yermak, head of Zelensky’s office, clarified on Telegram that “no meetings” are scheduled with Russia.
For some, the conference has marked a worrying shift in U.S. support for Kyiv. Browder commented, “The summit was the moment that America essentially threw Ukraine under the bus.” He expressed deep concern that Trump would negotiate a deal with Putin, claiming the Kremlin leader would make promises with no intention of keeping them. Zelensky has continuously stated he believes the Kremlin won’t adhere to any ceasefire terms without requisite security assurances from its supporters.
Earlier this month, Trump revealed he spoke at length with Putin in what he described as a “highly productive phone call,” also stating that they agreed to start ceasefire negotiations “immediately,” and mentioned that they would “begin by notifying” Zelensky about their plans.
Zelensky has asserted that he would refuse any agreements made without Ukrainian participation.
Browder remarked, “They’re celebrating in the Kremlin right now.” He characterized the situation as “an astonishing reversal for Putin handed to him on a silver platter by Trump.”
Defense Spending Hikes
The emphasis on increasing European defense spending was a more familiar topic for many delegates in Munich.
Hegseth and Trump have pressured Europe with a new objective—demanding that each country allocate 5 percent of its GDP toward defense. The current NATO target is 2 percent, with several member states still failing to meet this benchmark.
Officials at the conference aimed to distance themselves from specific figures while emphasizing that defense spending must see significant growth. Prominent politicians focused on addressing existing capability gaps in Europe rather than fixating on percentage goals.
Critical concerns include air defense, long-range missiles, and personnel. “There are huge gaps,” Tsahkna noted.
When questioned about the 5 percent target during a side event, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated he was “not committed to a specific number,” but indicated it would be “considerably more than three percent.”
When approached by Newsweek regarding the feasibility of all of Europe achieving the 5 percent target, Tsahkna promptly replied, “No.” While he conceded it should be attainable universally, he emphasized that it is not currently the case.
Conversely, some regions in Europe, like the Baltic states of Estonia and Lithuania, are already committing to defending above the 3 percent threshold.
However, Tsahkna rejected the notion that only countries along NATO’s eastern flank bordering Russia should shoulder the majority of the spending increases, asserting, “It’s not about the Baltics—it’s about Europe.”
