Greek PM: Europe should ‘wake up,’ reduce reliance on US

Greece has suggested that Europe must set up a defense policy and develop an intrinsic deterrent power to reduce reliance on the United States.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis warned European policymakers late Wednesday about the need for Europe to “wake up from the geopolitical and economic lethargy into which it has unfortunately fallen for some time.”

Mitsotakis made the remarks immediately after attending a meeting convened by France with European leaders and Canada to discuss Ukraine's war with Russia.

They came after US President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Saudi Arabia this week to discuss an end to the war without the participation of Ukraine and Europeans.

European leaders were further shocked after Trump called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator” and suggested that it was Ukraine that started the war with Russia three years ago, urging him to secure a peace deal quickly or risk losing his country.

Ukraine has insisted that it would not accept any deal without its consent, a stance that has also been echoed by European leaders but ignored by the new US administration.

Since the start of his tenure, Trump has also pushed Europe to increase military spending in the hope that it would open European gates to US weapons.

“Recent developments and this different view of things from the United States now oblige us not only to face the truth but to move at a very high speed and implement decisions that we have been discussing for long,” Mitsotakis said.

Trump warns ‘dictator’ Zelensky to swiftly secure peace deal with Russia or risk losing Ukraine

Trump has warned Zelensky to quickly secure a peace deal with Russia or risk losing his country Ukraine.

Europe has extensively relied on the US-backed NATO for security. However, Trump’s latest approach towards protecting Ukraine has created mayhem within the European political ranks.

Having to deal with the new realities of an alliance with the US, some experts warn that Europe would be stretched to work on its security independently.

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