Trump, in his own way, pushed Europe to shoulder more of its security – Polish expert

 Dariusz Materniak, editor-in-chief of the Polish-Ukrainian portal PolUkr.Net, stated this on Espreso TV.

“U.S. President Donald Trump did convince Europe to assume more responsibility for NATO’s security and for helping Ukraine. And it was quite a specific way of persuading some European countries that this really had to be done,” Materniak said.

According to him, however unconventional the method was, it has already produced results. In 2025, the majority of defense spending to support Ukraine is coming from Europe. It is no longer the United States— which, during the first two and a half years of the full-scale invasion, provided most of Ukraine’s weapons— but rather EU countries that are now the primary suppliers.

“But U.S. military support and presence in Europe remain crucial. It is very good that a process has begun in which European countries are gaining a measure of independence from the U.S. And this process needs to continue, because the U.S. has global interests, and the time may come when it cannot support European countries, even if it’s necessary. I think this understanding already exists. We need to take greater care of our own security,” Materniak stressed.