Ahead of the key summit on the financing of Ukraine in Brussels, US president feels that EU political leaders are “weak”, while the head of the Kremlin believes that the “pigs” will lose power…
It’s no wonder that US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin these days, each in his own way, harshly judge the European Union, especially Ursula von der Leyen’s European Commission.
“I think that the European leaders are weak (perhaps even weaklings?), they don’t know what to do now” – the 47th President of the USA, Donald Trump, said recently, having in mind not only the “Ukraine” case. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/09/trump-dasha-burns-interview-europe-immigration-ukraine-00682016 .”European “piglets” quickly teamed up with the previous American administration (in the case of “Ukraine”), hoping for the collapse of our country…it is likely that they will lose power,” the head of the Kremlin said today. https://www.ft.com/content/52c0b594-d299-4473-a35e-9a9235267d92
There are plenty of reasons for the harsh rhetoric of Washington and Moscow towards Brussels on both sides, but the issue of fresh money for Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s Ukraine is a possible “Waterloo” for Brussels, on which Trump and Putin probably agree.
Especially, if you consider how contradictory the plans of Washington and Brussels are with those 210 billion euros of Russian money “frozen” on EU soil.
The plot now begins with a question.
Namely, if the fateful promise is unfulfillable, what happens to the supplier of “false hope”? Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission (EC), could face exactly such a question tomorrow, December 18.
Namely, the day before this year’s final summit of EU leaders (December 18th ), the decisive announcement by Ursula von der Leyen, President of the EC, that the EU will support Kiev in the war with Russia “for as long as it takes” https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20220915-eu-s-von-der-leyen-vows-unfaltering-support-for-ukraine-on-kyiv-visit
–stands on glass legs.
On the one hand, it is quite clear that at the moment the EU does not have its own money to further finance the war and civilian needs of President Volodymyr Zelenskyi’s Ukraine. This can also be seen from the unusual recognition of German Chancellor Friedrich Mertz: “Using frozen Russian assets is the only credible way for Europe to maintain the solvency of Ukraine next year” https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-kaja-kallas-using-russian-assets-fund-ukraine-looks-increasingly-difficult/.
At least two questions require an answer here.
In whose name did Ursula von der Leyen actually promise Ukraine help—support—money “for as long as it takes”? (The answer could include certain responsibilities)
And.
How many EU member states support Chancellor Mertz’s belief about the necessary “use” of Russian sovereign funds “frozen” (by a political decision of Brussels) on EU territory?
While the precise answer to the first question is still a matter of the future, the answer to the second will most likely come as early as tomorrow at the summit of EU leaders, where the Europeans would have to agree on where and how they will continue to financially support Zelensky’s Ukraine.
What is the next move of Ursula von der Leyen, if the leaders of the EU member states tomorrow reject the proposal from the top of the European Commission, to permanently seize around 210 billion euros of Russian sovereign money deposited and “frozen” on EU soil?
For Trump and Putin, that “Brussels” is no longer in their geopolitical repertoire.
