Europe’s Top NATO Commander Warns Trump Has Become “The Enemy’s Friend” and Says Europe Must Be Ready to Put Troops in Ukraine
General Sir Richard Shirreff, the former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, is sounding an alarm that Western leaders can no longer ignore. In new remarks, he says Donald Trump’s emerging deal with Vladimir Putin represents the most dangerous unraveling of European security since the 1938 Munich betrayal and he warns that Europe must now be prepared to act without the United States.
“America can no longer be trusted as an ally.”
That is not political rhetoric. That is the assessment of a man who once planned NATO’s war strategy against Russia.
A “Cold Sick” Deal That Shocked Europe
Inside European capitals, Trump’s proposed deal with Putin reportedly offering Ukrainian territory and blocking Kyiv’s path to NATO, has triggered outrage. One British official said it landed “like a bowl of cold sick,” capturing the disgust spreading through NATO governments. Shirreff argues the anger is justified. For 80 years, the U.S. served as the backbone of European defense, but Trump has repeatedly signaled that he is willing to sacrifice that role. By sidelining Ukraine and dismissing NATO commitments, Trump has shattered the alliance’s trust in Washington and emboldened the Kremlin at the worst possible time.
How Trump Is Helping Putin Achieve His Goals
Shirreff says Trump’s rhetoric and concessions have “paved the way” for Putin’s long-standing imperial ambitions. Russia, he stresses, is not a misunderstood regional power but a state built on expansion, domination, and the belief that Ukraine has no right to exist independently. Through Trump’s actions, Putin now sees an opportunity to:
• Finalize the annexation of four Ukrainian territories and install a Moscow-aligned regime in Kyiv
• Pressure Moldova, Georgia, and even NATO member Romania as part of a renewed imperial sphere
Shirreff warns that Putin’s aims go further: weakening NATO, pushing the U.S. out of European security, and engineering a new geopolitical order shaped in Moscow’s favor. Trump’s posture, he argues, accelerates those goals.
Europe Can No Longer Wait for American Leadership
For years, European NATO members relied on U.S. military power while underfunding their own defenses. Now that Trump has openly questioned America’s obligations, Shirreff says Europe must face reality: the alliance can’t assume Washington will be there in a crisis. According to Shirreff, Europe and Canada must immediately coordinate arms production, logistics, and delivery systems to sustain Ukraine’s defense. He notes that every time Western aid has escalated, Putin has “rattled the nuclear sabre,” and every time, he has backed down, a pattern that should guide European resolve, not weaken it.
Shirreff also urges European leaders to back Ukraine’s internal reforms and accelerate its modernization, from command structure to battlefield technology. Ukraine, he notes, has already demonstrated far-greater innovation than Russia through drones, autonomous systems, and AI-enabled targeting.
The Boots-on-the-Ground Debate Is No Longer Avoidable
The most striking part of Shirreff’s warning is his insistence that Europe may soon need troops on the ground in Ukraine. If a ceasefire emerges, he says an implementation force will be required to secure more than 1,000 kilometers of front line. This would not be a symbolic UN mission, it would need mass, mobility, training, and firepower at a level not seen in Europe since the Cold War.
Shirreff frames it bluntly: securing peace may require Europeans to fight if necessary. He stresses that Baltic states, Poland, and Finland have already made sacrifices that Western Europe has not, and that delay only increases danger.
A €150 Billion Defense Fund And a New European Era
As an urgent first step, Shirreff backs Estonia’s proposal for all European NATO states to dedicate 0.25% of GDP to a Ukraine Defense Fund for four years, roughly €150 billion. While some European officials claim this is impossible without U.S. leadership, Shirreff rejects that view outright.
“We have to help ourselves.”
Europe’s GDP is 15 times larger than Russia’s, and its technological capacity far surpasses Moscow’s. The obstacle, Shirreff says, is willingness, not resources.
Munich 2025: The Past Echoes, The Future Is on the Line
The timing is symbolic. As leaders gather for the Munich Security Conference, Shirreff draws a direct line to 1938, when Western appeasement empowered a dictator and led the world into catastrophe. Europe must not, he argues, repeat that mistake. Shirreff warns that Trump’s appeasement of Putin has triggered a fundamental shift in global power and that Europe has no time left to debate or delay. A new long-term deterrent must be built now, or the continent risks cascading instability that could spread far beyond Ukraine. His message is not subtle, and it’s not meant to be:
The era of relying on America is over. Europe must defend itself, defend Ukraine, and rebuild NATO’s deterrence before it’s too late.
