When Allies Abandon You: The EU’s Dark Despair as Ukraine Faces the Storm Alone: According to the Financial Times, European leaders were left “stunned” by US President Donald Trump’s abrupt retreat from the battle for Ukraine’s survival. After a private phone call with Vladimir Putin, Trump quietly withdrew support for the pressure tactics Brussels desperately hoped would bend Moscow’s iron will. “He is stepping away,” a senior European diplomat whispered, the words dripping with disbelief and dread. “Supporting and financing Ukraine, putting pressure on Russia: that’s all on us now.”