Trump to test Europe’s feebleness in high-stakes meeting with world leaders

European Union leaders will gather in Brussels on Thursday for a summit that could expose deep fractures in the bloc.

The Trump administration has pressured allied governments to abandon a plan using €210 billion in frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine. White House officials have pushed European governments they consider friendliest to reject the proposal, four EU officials told Politico.

“They want to make us weak,” a senior EU official with knowledge of the transatlantic relationship said.

The American influence campaign has largely bypassed Brussels, with White House officials instead backchanneling directly with capitals. Italy, Bulgaria, Malta, and Czechia have joined Belgium in opposing the asset plan.

The EU’s problem isn’t Belgium — it’s Trump.https://t.co/M61nmoBEs2

— POLITICOEurope (@POLITICOEurope) December 17, 2025

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz warned the EU would be “severely damaged for years” if leaders fail to reach a deal.

“We will show the world that, at such a crucial moment in our history, we are incapable of standing together and acting to defend our own political order on this European continent,” Merz said in a German TV interview.

The White House dismissed accusations of meddling.

“Spitballing from anonymous sources who were not present for these discussions should not be taken seriously,” deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said. “The United States’ only objective is bringing peace to this conflict.”

Ukraine faces a budget shortfall of €71.7 billion next year. Without funding by April, Kyiv will have to cut public spending, potentially weakening morale and its ability to defend against Russia’s invasion.

Manfred Weber, leader of the European People’s Party, offered a blunt assessment Tuesday.

“The U.S. is obviously no longer the leader of the free world,” Weber told reporters.

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