"The events of Friday showed that the Trump administration has largely taken over Russia's talking points," former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves told ERR.

Ilves described Friday's war of words at the White House as a spectacle — essentially an ambush by U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance against Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was in a weaker position.

"These leaders govern the most militarily and economically powerful country in the world. They simply trampled over him. It was terrible to watch," Ilves said.

According to Ilves, Europe must now draw its own conclusions and accept that the United States can no longer be trusted. "We have different goals and if we want to defend Western values, the U.S. will not come to our aid," he stated.

"After yesterday, I seriously doubt that NATO holds much significance anymore. Even if Trump does not formally withdraw the U.S. from NATO, there's little to expect from it should things get serious. Europe must start thinking much more seriously about how to move forward independently and how to defend itself. This means that much of the infighting we have seen in Europe must now end. The minor issues that have occupied us — we can no longer afford to focus on them," Ilves stressed.

One of the first issues to address, in his view, is Germany's debt brake rule, which prevents increased spending on defense.

"Europe must now take its defense seriously. Friday was just the latest incident, but we've already seen how, a few days ago, Trump called Zelenskyy a dictator — even though he is democratically elected. Yet he does not say that Putin, who is clearly not democratically elected, is a dictator. This should be a wake-up call for all of us in Estonia and across Europe," Ilves warned.

While Trump stated that the U.S. remains committed to NATO, Ilves said that this should not be taken seriously.

"This is a leadership style that differs from traditional diplomacy, where words carry meaning. Right now, they don't. If someone repeatedly claims that they have provided the most aid to Ukraine when that is simply not true, what are we to conclude? French President Emmanuel Macron visited Washington and explained that Europe has, in fact, provided more aid than the U.S. And yet Trump continues to claim his administration has given $350 billion, which is simply not true," Ilves remarked.

Ilves agreed with Estonian MP Marko Mihkelson's assessment that Friday's events in the Oval Office could mark the beginning of the unraveling of the Western alliance. He also welcomed the fact that EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has reached the same conclusion — that the U.S. is no longer the leader of the Western world.

"This is a completely new role for America, which has been the leader of the free world for the past 80 years. It no longer is," Ilves stated.

As for how Europe should now take on that leadership role or who should fill it, Ilves said that Europe must determine that for itself. However, he emphasized that it is not about any single individual.

"We cannot say that one person or another will take on this role. We must face the reality that, right now, Europe is not managing on its own — and that needs to be addressed," he noted.

When asked whether Europe could suddenly manage without the U.S., Ilves responded with a question of his own: "What is the alternative? It would be a tragedy if we cannot, but we have no choice. We must do it," he concluded.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!