The Oval Office has been the stage for countless moments of high-stakes diplomacy. But on that February afternoon, it was transformed into something else entirely—a live episode of The Apprentice: Geopolitics Edition.
Volodymyr Zelenskyyy walked in expecting support. He walked out publicly humiliated. Donald Trump, ever the showman, treated him like a contestant who had overstayed his welcome.
“You’re fired” might as well be official US foreign policy.
What followed was a mad scramble in European capitals. With Trump openly questioning America’s role in Ukraine, Britain and France rushed to assemble a coalition of European leaders, grandly dubbing their London summit “Securing Our Future.” The problem? Trump wasn’t buying it. And if Trump isn’t buying, no amount of European back-slapping is going to make the deal happen.
Trump’s Reality Show Diplomacy: The Oval Office Debacle
By now, the world knows that Donald Trump doesn’t do diplomacy the traditional way. He does spectacle. And when Zelenskyy arrived in Washington, hoping to secure continued US backing, he instead found himself starring in a televised humiliation ritual.
With cameras rolling and Vice President JD Vance sitting smugly beside him, Trump wasted no time laying into his guest. Zelenskyy, he claimed, was “disrespectful” and “ungrateful.” A discussion about Ukraine’s war effort and a minerals deal quickly turned into a public rebuke, ending with Trump abruptly walking out and cancelling the agreement altogether.
For Zelenskyy, it was a diplomatic nightmare. For Trump, it was just another episode of The Trump Show. The message was clear: in his world, alliances are conditional, loyalty is expected, and gratitude is mandatory.
The “Securing Our Future” Summit: A Grand Gesture with No Buyer
As Zelenskyy licked his wounds, European leaders scrambled to respond. Britain and France, sensing the fragility of Western unity, hurriedly called a crisis summit in London under the lofty title “Securing Our Future.”
The idea was simple: if Trump was pulling back, Europe had to step up. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Emmanuel Macron played host to 18 leaders, vowing to stand by Ukraine and present a united front against Russia.
The speeches were stirring. The symbolism was strong. But the biggest problem loomed over the entire gathering: would any of this convince Trump? he reality? Not likely. While European leaders congratulated themselves on their commitment, Trump was already looking elsewhere—brokering his own backdoor talks with Vladimir Putin and continuing to question NATO’s value.
If the goal of “Securing Our Future” was to win over Trump, it might as well have been called Shouting into the Void.
NATO’s 2% Defence Spending Target: Europe’s Eternal Weak Spot
For years, Trump has hammered home a simple, brutal message: Europe doesn’t pay its fair share. And he’s not wrong. Back in 2014, NATO members agreed to spend at least 2% of GDP on defence. A decade later, many are still lagging.
The figures tell the real story:
- The US covers a staggering 68% of NATO’s total defence budget.
- The UK and France, the next biggest contributors, barely scrape past 5% each.
- Germany, despite its economic dominance, has struggled to hit 2%—and only pledged to do so recently out of sheer necessity.
- Trump’s new demand? 5%. His stance is clear: if Europe wants security, it must start paying for it.
And herein lies the real issue—Europe talks a big game but still relies on American firepower.
Grand Plans, Small Budgets: Europe’s Defence Problem
In response to Trump’s unpredictability, European leaders are ramping up their own defence initiatives. The European Defence Fund, Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), and the Strategic Compass all sound ambitious.
The problem? None of them are remotely close to replacing America’s military umbrella.
And this is exactly why Trump isn’t interested.
When European leaders parade around their coalition, vowing to stand strong, Trump doesn’t hear reassurance. He hears more talk, more dependence on America.
Trump’s Transactional Worldview: No Free Lunch
Unlike previous American presidents, Trump doesn’t see alliances as sacred. He sees them as business transactions. And in his mind, NATO has been a terrible deal for the US. Ever since he entered global politics, he has made it clear: American support isn’t automatic—it has to be earned. If Europe wants the US to back Ukraine, it needs to make a compelling business case.
So far, it hasn’t.
Instead of rapidly increasing military spending or committing to a truly independent defence force, Europe is still stuck in meetings, drafting long-term plans, and issuing statements.
To Trump, this isn’t strength—it’s dithering.
Can Europe Really Secure Its Own Future?
So what’s the reality? Can Europe truly take charge of its own security? The blunt answer: not any time soon since it’s not the 18th and 19th century.
Yes, the UK and France are pledging more troops. Yes, Germany is finally increasing its defence budget. Yes, the EU is working on making Ukraine a “steel porcupine” that Russia won’t be able to swallow. But none of this happens overnight. Meanwhile, Trump still holds all the cards. His on-again, off-again negotiations with Vladimir Putin have kept everyone guessing. His erratic foreign policy means Europe can’t afford to ignore him, no matter how much it wants to. And as long as Trump remains the power broker, Europe’s coalition remains just that—a coalition of the willing, but not necessarily the capable.
The Apprentice, But With Nukes
At the end of the day, Trump sees the world in simple terms: winners and losers, deals and bad deals. Right now, he sees Europe as a continent full of talkers, not doers. Zelenskyy tried to win him over and got publicly humiliated. Starmer tried to impress him and got laughed at. Macron, Scholz, and the rest of Europe are acting like they don’t need him—but deep down, they know they do. Because here’s the brutal truth: Without US support, the entire Western strategy for Ukraine is hanging by a thread. Trump is watching. He’s waiting. And unless Europe steps up with real leverage, he might just walk away from the table entirely. Because in Trump’s world, power isn’t assumed—it’s asserted.
And if Europe can’t do that? He’ll be more than happy to deliver his signature sign-off: “You’re fired.”