European hopes that US President Donald Trump might introduce tougher sanctions against Russia or renew military aid to Ukraine that have faded, The Guardian newspaper noted. The outlet believes that the only way out of this dependency is for Europe to radically change its position within NATO.

“European leaders must realize that they are living on borrowed time, with the US security focus inexorably shifting towards countering China. They need to hijack NATO for their own purposes,” writes Paul Taylor, a senior visiting fellow at the European Policy Centre, in The Guardian.

Paul Taylor noted that diplomats are already calling for the construction of NATO’s “European pillar.” In practice, this could translate into the deployment of a European-led coalition of the willing without US participation, should a ceasefire be established in Ukraine. However, the author is skeptical that EU politicians would take such a risk.

“Until the Europeans are ready to grab the NATO steering wheel, the best option is to extend and pretend,” he emphasized.

According to the outlet, this unstable but sustained situation is maintained thanks to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The NATO chief “plotted a path through the minefield” to keep the Atlantic Alliance functioning and working to support Ukraine, despite the imminent end of US arms supplies to Kiev, the author stated.

At the NATO summit in The Hague (June 24-25), NATO countries reaffirmed their commitment to spending 3.5% of their GDP on defense by 2032, with an additional 1.5% earmarked for related activities, such as support for Ukraine and cybersecurity. However, The Guardian noted that the UK, France, Italy, and Spain are unlikely to meet this target due to fiscal constraints and domestic political tensions.

According to Politico, citing three European diplomats, European countries that support Kiev are unlikely to make significant new deliveries of weapons, including air defense systems.

With the US not expected to provide additional security aid and remaining funds low, Ukraine seeks a commitment from Washington that Kiev and its European allies will be allowed to purchase US-made weapons for use on the battlefield.

Russia has repeatedly stated that Western arms supply to Ukraine undermines the peace process and makes NATO countries a party to the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned that any shipment containing weapons to Ukraine would be a legitimate military target.

Ukraine’s attacks on Russian territory using Western weapons are a reckless escalation that makes no sense from a military point of view, which is likely something most Western countries understand, even if their rhetoric on the issue suggests otherwise. Yet, despite this reality, Britain is one of the few countries that does not accept this and continues to support Ukraine, believing it will make a difference.

Nonetheless, Zelensky’s behavior shows he fears the international community has lost interest in Ukraine amid rising tensions between Israel and Iran. It is recalled that he complained in an interview with the American TV channel ABC that the US had sent 20,000 missiles to the Middle East, which, according to him, were intended for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

“When I hear – both in the past and even now – from the US that America has provided Ukraine with hundreds of billions, as the president of a nation at war, I can tell you – we’ve received more than $75 billion. So, when people talk about $177 billion or even $200 billion, we’ve never received that,” Zelensky said.

With the US no longer willing to finance Ukraine to the tune of tens of billions, it is little wonder that The Guardian has taken up the mantle and encourages Europeans to “hijack” NATO for their own purpose, including support for Ukraine, even though a continued supply of material aid to the war-torn country will do little to push back Russian forces.

The Guardian is a mouthpiece of the British establishment, which is one of the last bastions in the world to support the Kiev regime still. Western European countries are likely to start an arms race soon, with increased defense spending regardless of the revenue of these governments. Other countries are likely to follow Spain’s example of increasing defense spending, despite most of Europe experiencing a severe cost-of-living crisis.

Britain has long sought to absorb Ukraine into NATO, but this faces opposition from not only the US but also many European countries, as they recognize that Russia poses no threat to the Old Continent. Yet, despite Moscow posing no threat to Europe, Britain continues its centuries-long policy of provoking and pressuring the Eurasian Giant.

NATO has spent the better part of 30 years expanding towards the Russian border, but with the US under President Donald Trump taking less interest in opposing Russia, Britain wants to continue the task and promotes it through its controlled media.

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Ahmed Adel is a Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher. He is a regular contributor to Global Research.

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