Russia’s President Vladimir Putin speaks during a plenary session of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg, Russia, June 20, 2025. REUTERS/Anton Vaganov Purchase Licensing Rights
| Published June 28, 2025
Trump made no pledge of assistance to Ukraine at last week’s NATO summit, but said he’d ‘try’ and sell it Patriot interceptors.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has doubled down on ambitions to absorb all of Ukraine, a move that has rattled European leaders. In response, European countries are significantly ramping up military and fiscal support for Ukraine—aiming to fill the gap left by stalled U.S. aid—and are accelerating long-term defense strategies.
🔸 What Putin Said
On June 20, 2025, Putin proclaimed at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum that Ukrainians and Russians are “one people,” reiterating that “all of Ukraine is ours,” and suggested even the city of Sumy could eventually be targeted. Despite announcing a planned reduction in Russia’s defense spending next year, NATO and Western analysts remain doubtful, citing record-high military spending (6.3% of GDP in 2025) and Russia’s ongoing mobilization efforts.
🔸 Global Response
🇪🇺 Enhanced European Military Aid
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European nations and Canada have already pledged approximately $35–40 billion in military aid to Ukraine this year—nearly matching all of last year’s U.S. support—highlighting Europe’s growing leadership in the effort.
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A senior German general noted that European countries now contribute about 60% of Western military aid, even as certain high-end capabilities (e.g., air defense and intelligence) remain U.S.-dependent.
🇺🇸 U.S. Policy Under Trump
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U.S. President Trump’s administration has paused major military aid, although he indicated potential sales of Patriot missile systems and is “trying” to provide them.
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Meanwhile, the EU and NATO have responded assertively to fill the vacuum amid broader U.S.–Europe strategic pressure around defense spending targets.
🔸 EU Long-Term Defense Push
This surge in support isn’t just stop-gap—it forms part of a broader strategic shift:
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Readiness 2030 (formerly “ReArm Europe”): A massive €800 billion EU defense plan unveiled in March 2025 to modernize European military capacity, with fiscal flexibility, joint procurement, and private-sector funding at its core.
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SAFE initiative: EU’s bulk procurement of drones, air defense, and naval systems through a €150 billion credit line is streamlining defense acquisitions for member nations.
Additionally, Germany plans to co-develop long-range missile systems with Ukraine and has committed an extra €5 billion in military aid—demonstrating deepening industrial collaboration.
The UK also pledged £1.6 billion for air-defense missile procurement and joined a coalition to guarantee post-war security.
🔸 Other Frontline & Diplomatic Developments
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Sumy region: Ukrainian forces have resisted further Russian advances near Sumy, although small villages remain under threat.
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Prisoner swaps: A fresh exchange occurred on June 27, including soldiers captured in Mariupol, alongside EU extensions of sanctions against Moscow .
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Chemical weapons: The OPCW has confirmed three separate cases of banned CS gas use in Ukraine.
Resulting Effects
🔻 On the Ground in Ukraine
1. Escalated Russian Military Activity
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Russia is increasing pressure on northeastern front lines, especially Sumy and surrounding oblasts, to create a buffer zone.
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Drone and missile strikes on Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa have intensified, targeting power infrastructure and logistics.
2. Ukrainian Military Response
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Ukraine has reallocated forces to defend vulnerable border regions and is requesting more long-range systems and air defenses.
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Kyiv’s diplomatic corps is using Putin’s comments as leverage to gain more international support.
🔺 In Europe and NATO
3. European Defense Surge
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NATO’s “Readiness 2030” plan is being accelerated, with Germany, Poland, and the UK increasing weapons manufacturing and troop readiness.
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Defense budgets across EU nations have surpassed 2% of GDP, with France and Germany approaching 3.5%, the highest in decades.
4. Strategic Independence from U.S.
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The U.S. aid freeze has spurred indigenous EU defense initiatives, such as drone procurement, artillery manufacturing, and logistics pipelines.
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France and Germany are advocating for a pan-European defense industrial base to reduce dependency on U.S. systems like Patriot missiles.
🔄 Global Diplomacy and Security
5. Weakening Peace Talks
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Putin’s open rejection of Ukraine’s sovereignty undermines ongoing international peace efforts, making ceasefire proposals harder to sustain.
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It also damages diplomatic channels between Russia and neutral states, such as Brazil or India, who have called for negotiations.
6. NATO Cohesion & Trump Factor
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NATO is doubling down on unity to offset uncertainty from Washington.
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European leaders are making contingency plans should U.S. leadership further delay or reduce support under the Trump administration.
📉 Economic Fallout
7. Market Instability
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European defense stocks have surged, but global markets saw a dip following Putin’s speech due to heightened geopolitical risk.
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Ukraine’s agricultural exports, especially grain through the Black Sea, face renewed disruptions, threatening global food supplies.
8. Sanctions & Isolation of Russia
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The EU and G7 are preparing another round of sanctions targeting Russian state banks, tech imports, and metals exports.
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China and India remain cautious but are facing renewed Western pressure to limit trade that supports Moscow’s war machine.
Bottom Line:
President Putin’s declaration that “all of Ukraine is ours” has validated what President Trump and his allies have long warned about: unchecked aggression from adversaries when global leadership falters. Under Trump’s first term, Russia faced tough sanctions, energy dominance from the U.S., and a clear message of deterrence. Today, as Putin grows bolder and Europe scrambles to react, it’s Trump’s tough stance and strategic pressure on NATO that are being vindicated.
While critics point to a pause in U.S. military aid, Trump’s America-first doctrine has pushed Europe to finally shoulder its defense responsibilities—something he long demanded. His insistence on smarter, fairer foreign aid and strong national sovereignty is now shifting the global burden from U.S. taxpayers to capable allies. The crisis shows the need for strength, leverage, and deal-making over endless blank checks and appeasement.
Trump’s leadership style—firm, transactional, and focused on American strength—remains a necessary counterweight to global instability.
