European countries are now much better prepared to act independently in the field of defense than ever before, said the US President's special representative, General Keith Kellogg, in an interview with The Telegraph. According to him, the key change has been the realization by European leaders that Russia is an existential threat, while a few years ago they were dependent on its energy resources.
Kellogg noted that Donald Trump's relationship with the new generation of European politicians - including Friedrich Merz in Germany and Giorgia Malone in Italy - is better than with their predecessors. The general also emphasized that NATO countries have increased defense budgets and are showing unprecedented unity.
"This unity is real. We only need to look at the meetings of European leaders after the summit in Alaska. Within 24 hours, they all gathered in Washington to discuss the future of Europe at the White House. This is exceptional. Putin misjudged the situation," he said.
Separately, Kellogg stressed that Europe should be ready to support Ukraine even without US help. "It's better to be ready. I don't think America will completely withdraw its troops, but Europe has to stand on its own two feet. Today, it is almost self-sufficient in supporting Ukraine's military efforts thanks to a cohesion that was not there before," the general said.
At the same time, he recalled his previous statement that Ukraine will likely have to live with the reality of partial occupation of Donbas, but this does not mean legal recognition of Russian sovereignty over these territories. Kellogg also emphasized that Donald Trump in private conversations expresses even greater harshness towards Vladimir Putin than in public speeches.
