"The unprecedented diplomatic drama that unfolded yesterday in the U.S. president's office before the eyes of the entire world, a scenario that even Hollywood's best screenwriter could not have imagined, may go down in history as the beginning of the collapse of the Western alliance," Mihkelson wrote on social media on Saturday.

"Not since the end of World War II has there been such a deep and fundamental rift among the allies of the free world. Russia and China, which seek to divide Europe and America, have come very close to achieving one of their greatest strategic objectives. President Trump, who emphasizes isolationism, has made it clear that the leadership role of the free world is now vacant and depends primarily on European allies, whether and who will fill this void."

The MP said that the confrontation in the White House's Oval Office with President Donald Trump and Vice-President J.D. Vance was both shocking and logical, inevitably giving the impression that it was always bound to end this way.

"President Zelenskyy was asked for nothing less than unconditional surrender to Russia's demands. When the Ukrainian president tried to explain that Russia is the aggressor and has no regard for ceasefires, as it has repeatedly demonstrated since 2014, and that Ukraine needs real security guarantees to defend its sovereignty, the hosts mercilessly attacked their guest, accusing him of lacking respect and gratitude," Mihkelson wrote.

"Zelenskyy certainly did not have his best day yesterday, but one can only imagine the pressure and internal frustration he has had to endure over the past few months," the chairman said, pointing to Zelenskyy's somewhat agitated demeanor. "He probably did not expect that Ukraine's biggest supporter would so brutally and openly turn against the victim of aggression."

Trump does not care about UN Charter

"The U.S. president's stance was deliberate – he showed the world that he is not part of this war, that he does not take sides, and that he wants to end the war at any cost in order to restore relations with Russia and redefine the global balance of power. Unfortunately, he made it clear to everyone that he does not care about the UN Charter, the principle of not changing borders by force, or the values that hold the free world together," Mihkelson said. "White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt said after the meeting that the U.S. will stop writing blank checks for a war in a very distant country without a real and lasting peace."

The MP said Leavitt also stressed that the whole world now sees what the U.S. president faces behind closed doors. In Mihkelson's view, this only proves that Trump needed such a scene to distance himself from the war that will determine Europe's fate.

"What makes yesterday's event logical is the public behavior of the new U.S. administration since Trump's hour-and-a-half phone call with dictator [Vladimir] Putin on February 12. This was followed by hectic but nevertheless deliberate steps by the White House to reconcile with the aggressor state Russia, disregarding the interests of Ukraine and its European allies. The votes in the UN Security Council and General Assembly last Monday, where the U.S. sided with Russia and North Korea against Ukraine, sent a clear signal to everyone about the White House's true intentions," he analyzed.

"Although the Ukrainian delegation attempted to quickly restore contact between the presidents after the Oval Office fiasco, the U.S. rejected it. Zelenskyy left Washington with the realization that from now on, Ukraine will find it much harder to rely on U.S. support. Ukraine's fate now largely rests on Europe's shoulders."

Europe must move fast

"For Estonia, as well as for other like-minded nations in our region, the collapse of the Western alliance would be a severe blow to maintaining lasting peace and ensuring security. In this situation, we must act swiftly with our European allies to prevent Russia and China from getting the impression that Western deterrence is crumbling and resistance is paralyzed. The first test here is the continuation of military aid to Ukraine," Mihkelson wrote. "Even if the U.S. does follow through on its threat and stops providing the already promised military aid, European countries, along with other forces in the free world, must do everything necessary to ensure that Ukraine continues to receive the military support it needs. The immediate priority for stabilizing the front lines is artillery, artillery ammunition, and air defense. This will not be easy, but in the face of an existential threat, it is unavoidable. Estonia's proposal to allocate at least 0.25 percent of GDP to military support for Ukraine remains relevant."

The MP said European countries should move as quickly as possible to use all frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. If this requires strengthening the determination of the Belgian government – as the majority of the approximately €200 billion in frozen assets is located in Belgium — then that must be done.

"European countries committed to the survival of the free world must immediately increase defense spending in accordance with actual needs and the new reality of transatlantic relations. We are likely talking about a figure in the range of 4-5 percent of GDP. At the same time, it is clear that achieving several critically important capabilities will take time, even if political decisions are made today or tomorrow. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that France, in particular, extends its nuclear deterrence umbrella to all European allies. Russia must understand that we are serious," Mihkelson stated.

Alliance with U.S. should be maintained

However, the chairman believes effort should still be made to maintain the alliance with the U.S.

"In response to a Polish journalist's question about the security of the Baltic states, Trump said in the Oval Office yesterday that we have a difficult neighborhood but that, as president, he is bound by NATO commitments," Mihkelson added.

"Despite what has happened, we must remain active in explaining our position to the U.S. The majority of members in the U.S. Congress still support strong alliances with Europe, and many of them understand that if Ukraine is abandoned to its fate, we may indeed be facing World War III."

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