The damage caused by Donald Trump’s meeting with Vladimir Putin on 15 August in terms of undermining the West’s support of Ukraine is yet to be fully understood by observers on both sides of the war. Trump has said that he will wait for two weeks before deciding what to do, but what is clear is that Putin has played the US President like a puppet throughout 2025 and shown him for what he is – out of his depth.
In contrast, the rallying of other NATO leaders behind President Zelensky, culminating in the Independence Day anniversary today has been dignified and highly effective. By continuing to provide diplomatic, economic, military and intelligence support, Ukraine still has a chance of coming out of this conflict as a free nation. Of these four levers of power, the most important, and the only one that really hurts Putin, is military capability that allows the Ukrainian Army to counter-attack into Russia.
As I have written before, I see no prospect of peace this year and am surprised by how many naïve politicians have been taken in by Putin’s stalling tactics. Of all the leaders who have spoken publicly about the situation, the one who makes the most sense is the former Prime Minister of Estonia, who is now the Vice President of that much derided organisation, the European Commission. Coming from a country on the front line with Russia (and one of the UK’s best allies in Afghanistan) her blunt analysis about land concessions and the vital need for a strong Ukrainian Army should be heeded by all those who support a free world.
Rupert Wieloch 