In early September 2025, three weeks after their summit in Alaska, Trump and Putin again found common ground—criticizing Europe’s handling of the Ukraine conflict. Trump urged European leaders to intensify efforts during a conference call on September 4, despite most diplomatic momentum coming from Europe’s own initiative to craft security guarantees for Ukraine once hostilities cease.
Trump’s Message to Europe
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Cease purchasing Russian oil. Trump emphasized that the EU’s fuel imports, which yielded Russia €1.1 billion in a single year, must end immediately. He added that Europe should pressure China to curb its own Russian energy purchases.
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Leverage sanctions. Trump hinted at potential sanctions if Putin failed to accelerate peace talks, warning “you’ll see things happen” should the Russian president miss another self-imposed deadline.
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U.S. ambivalence on China. Critics note Trump’s call on Europe to pressure Beijing clashes with his reluctance to impose further U.S. sanctions on China during ongoing trade negotiations.
Europe’s Energy Transition
Since the 2022 invasion, the EU has dramatically curtailed Russian energy imports:
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Crude oil imports plunged from €14.06 billion in Q1 2021 to €1.48 billion in Q1 2025.reuters
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Petroleum’s share of EU crude imports fell from 27 percent in 2022 to just 3 percent by the end of 2024.vleva
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Pipeline gas deliveries from Russia dropped by 90 percent in Q1 2025 versus Q1 2021, while LNG imports rose 67 percent—largely through terminals in Spain, France, and Belgium.bssc
Although Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic still rely on Russian pipeline oil under temporary exemptions, the European Commission’s roadmap aims to eliminate all Russian fossil-fuel imports by 2027 for oil and 2028 for gas.epthinktank
Russia’s Wedge Strategy
Moscow continues to exploit Western divisions:
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Putin accused EU nations of “hysteria” over a supposed threat to Europe, denying any intention to attack Western states.
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During his China visit, Putin met with Slovakia’s Robert Fico, echoing criticism of European policies and arguing that bilateral talks with Ukraine should precede any multilateral forum.
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Russia has jammed GPS signals on EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s plane, drawing denials and accusations of European “paranoia.”
Post-War Security Guarantees
At a “Coalition of the Willing” summit on September 4 in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that 26 nations pledged security assurances—land, sea, and air—once a ceasefire or peace deal is in place. While some countries, like Italy, have ruled out on-the-ground deployments, others will contribute training, equipment, and potentially forces.reuters
President Zelensky praised the pledge as a “victory,” and European leaders view these guarantees as crucial to deter future Russian aggression. U.S. participation is expected to be finalized soon, though Trump’s focus remained on European energy policy during his call with coalition leaders.
Outlook
Despite high-level summits and pledges, substantive progress toward ending the war remains elusive. Europe’s gradual energy decoupling from Russia is well underway, but security guarantees hinge on a viable peace agreement that Russia has yet to fully embrace. Meanwhile, Trump’s erratic diplomacy—oscillating between support for Ukraine and criticism of its allies—underscores the fragility of transatlantic unity at a critical juncture in the conflict