BRUSSELS, Belgium — The most recent pro-Russian turn of the U.S. Trump administration has not gone unnoticed in Europe, with EU leaders lining up at an Oct. 15 summit in Brussels to criticize the moves, even as they hold out hope for the future of the transatlantic alliance.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Oct. 9 a deal to buy Russian diesel, and called for President Volodymyr Zelensky to be replaced. Ukraine's military use of Starlink was restricted days later without warning, and the U.S. might have also limited intelligence sharing, which would put Ukrainian civilians at even more risk of being killed in Russian aerial attacks.
"This is not the right side of history," Zelensky said in an Oct. 14 interview in which he considered the latest moves from the U.S. to be a betrayal of Ukraine.
"We very much regret this agreement on diesel ... the U.S. makes such an agreement, which basically is not at all about Ukraine, but rather about American politics basically," said outgoing Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
"Every step now to help the Russians increase their financing of the war is a bad sign. We very much stick to Volodymyr Zelensky's view on this," Kristersson said.
The agreement with Russia "will not solve the fuel price problem," said Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, who said the move was not "coherent."
"It is also not coherent because it gives a wrong signal in relation to support for Russia's aggression against Ukraine," Montenegro added.
The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said Europe and the U.S "definitely have different approaches to this war."
"We see that we have to pressure the aggressor to stop the war, not the victim to surrender," Kallas said.
She also emphasized Europe's role as a "strong player," saying the U.S. policy shift on Russia "has been going on for over a year already, and Europe has stood by Ukraine. That is why Russia has not achieved their goals."
"I think the American president overestimates that you can eventually get Putin to peace by being very friendly with him," said Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten,
"It's really a very bad choice by Trump ... (the U.S.) is more often an unpredictable ally than we have been used to," Jetten said.
The news about unilateral restrictions being placed on the use of Starlink over Ukraine, without prior warning, faced criticism, too.
"There is only one word to describe it, it is deeply problematic. And yet another example of how the tech giants have gained all too much power and influence," said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
Her Austrian counterpart Christian Stocker said it was "a bad sign for the security of Ukraine, for the security of Europe."
"It shows once again that it is very dangerous when information is not in one's own hands, not in the hands of Europe," Stocker said.
The moves from the U.S. led Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha to say Europe needs to "take its future in its own hands," at an Oct. 12 meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers, a sentiment echoed by several EU leaders since.
"Trump's and Putin's agreement is very dangerous, and for all these reasons Europe must once again take its role," said Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo.
When asked if there was a European consensus, Orpo replied "I haven't noticed any discrepancy in this matter. All the discussions I've had have been very consistent."
Even so, there was a similarly clear will not to lose contact with the U.S. entirely.
"We will continue our discussions with the U.S., even if there are some decisions that we do not support," said Luxembourgish Prime Minister Luc Frieden.
We have to continue our engagement with the U.S. because we've had moments in the past when there were challenges and difficulties ... and it was retrieved by good outreach and engagement," said Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin.
"And I've no doubt that will continue," Martin added.
"I have long ago chosen not to respond to every tweet and every statement from the American government, but really to focus on the common interests and to appeal to them that we have been their best friends for 250 years," said Dutch Prime Minister Jetten.
"My appeal is we are all friends. We are all on this side of history and we know very well who is on the other side," said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.
Nauseda implored the U.S. to "please stay united in our family because Russia is challenging our way of life, our rules, our rule of law, democratic rules, human rights, everything."