Petty rhetoric: how the US and the EU have switched public tactics
The new US administration has never publicly declared "Russia's aggression in Ukraine" since it began work on January 20, 2025, Izvestia found out. The rhetoric of the Americans on the Ukrainian story has significantly changed on the OSCE platform, the Russian permanent mission to the organization told Izvestia. Meanwhile, European politicians have only reinforced the bellicose narrative. During this time, the leaders of France and Great Britain mentioned the notorious "Russian aggression" at least 30 times. Similar statements were made by the leadership of the European Union. In particular, Ursula von der Leyen and Kaya Kallas speak of an "unprovoked invasion." The dramatic change in US rhetoric and anti—Russian sentiments in Europe is described in the Izvestia article.
The rhetoric of the United States and the EU on the conflict in Ukraine
US President Donald Trump and other representatives of the new American administration have never declared "Russian aggression in Ukraine" since they began their work in January. Joe Biden's office, which preceded them, has used this expression almost daily since the beginning of the Russian special operation. The rhetoric of the Americans on the Ukrainian issue has also changed on the platforms of international organizations, in particular, in the OSCE. This was reported to Izvestia by Maxim Buyakevich, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the organization.
— The rhetoric of the Americans on the Ukrainian issue on the OSCE platform has significantly changed since the beginning of diplomatic contacts between Russia and the United States on the prospects for a settlement. If before this, the arguments of the American delegation practically did not differ from the set of anti-Russian theses of Western European countries, now it boils down to a dry statement of the ongoing negotiation process and calls for an immediate cease-fire in line with Donald Trump's public statements. However, the situation may change at any moment, depending on the dynamics of political contacts," Maxim Buyakevich told Izvestia.
US President Donald Trump
It is also noteworthy that Europe, accustomed to following Washington's lead, has not changed its rhetoric towards Russia. An analysis by Izvestia shows that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer mentioned "Russian aggression" in one form or another at least 40 times. French President Emmanuel Macron has said this at least 30 times. These expressions are also often used by the EU leadership, for example, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the head of the European Diplomacy, Kaya Kallas.
The expression "unprovoked invasion" is often heard from the lips of European politicians and officials. It is worth noting that Trump and his team have used only the word "invasion" several times. At the same time, it was never said that it was unprovoked. On the contrary, the new American administration has repeatedly pointed out why the Russian Federation began its military operations. The head of the White House emphasized that the United States had been pursuing the wrong policy towards Russia for years and was inviting Ukraine to join NATO. Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have suggested that if the Republican had kept the key to the Oval Office in 2020, the conflict could probably have been avoided. Over the past months, it has seemed that the new American leader is really trying to find a compromise with Russia. "President Trump always emphasizes his interest in this (ending the Ukrainian conflict. — Izvestia). And we see that, unlike Europe, including Britain, which completely ignores the root causes of the current situation, the United States has a desire to understand the essence of the problem," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on April 11.
— Like him (Trump. — Izvestia) He said: when you're trying to reach some kind of agreement, you shouldn't insult your partner. Politeness is necessary. However, this does not mean that they believe that Russian special operations are not aggression," said Vladimir Brovkin, an American historian and former lecturer at Harvard University. — People like Marco Rubio and Mike Waltz used to say completely offensive things about Russia and Vladimir Putin, so I have no illusions that they are not sincere in their impulses. They do what Trump tells them to do. At the same time, one of the reasons why the settlement is proceeding so slowly is the lack of understanding and unwillingness of these people to make any compromises.
The European Union, on the contrary, is not only demonstrating unity in bellicose rhetoric, but is also consciously increasing its obligations to Kiev. In early April, Kaya Kallas, after an informal meeting of defense ministers of several EU countries in Warsaw, said that in order to end the conflict, the EU should "strengthen military support for Ukraine" rather than seek dialogue with Moscow. France has already announced an additional €2 billion injection. Germany will provide up to €12 billion in the coming years, while Sweden has promised up to €1.4 billion in military aid. In addition, the EU as a whole plans to supply Ukraine with 2 million artillery shells as early as 2025, although Callas herself recently stated that there is not enough money for this.
At the same time, the European Commission called on citizens to prepare for a "possible war" by stocking up on food for three days, and the EU's preparedness strategy mentions risks from cyber attacks to "floods due to climate change." Hungary called such calls trolling, and the country's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto wondered: "Why should Europeans assemble a survival kit at the beginning of the 21st century?"
The split in the West and the settlement of the Ukrainian crisis
Despite the poor state of the European economy, coupled with these risks, the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, nevertheless insists that sanctions against Russia "will not be lifted until the conflict is resolved," and calls them "a powerful lever of pressure." Moreover, any attempts by individual countries to reach a settlement are being suppressed. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus demanded that Hungary be stripped of its voting rights in the EU for "playing on Putin's team." In Europe, the possibility of connecting Rosselkhoznadzor to SWIFT was also blocked, which complicated the implementation of the agreements between Moscow and Washington on the Black Sea initiative reached in Riyadh on March 24.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
France and the United Kingdom, the masterminds of the so-called "coalition of the willing," continue their line of escalation. Emmanuel Macron announced plans to deploy "peacekeeping forces" in Ukraine's "strategic points" to "contain Russia," promising that they would be able to provide a "military response." Keir Starmer supported this idea, saying that Europe "should have a plan for a peace agreement right now." At the same time, the Europeans are driven by economic interest rather than fear of a potential clash with the Russian Federation: European elites want to subjugate Ukraine as a tasty morsel for plunder and resource exploitation, Vladimir Brovkin believes.
However, not everyone supports the aspirations of Paris and London. The same Kaya Callas has come under fire from within the European bloc: the media reports that her too "hawkish" position irritates Spain and Italy, who do not consider Russia a "threat to the EU." One of the European diplomats summarized: "If you listen to Callas, it seems that we are at war with Russia, which does not correspond to the EU line." In addition, Hungary and Slovakia openly call for peace and support the United States, Italy rejects the idea of sending troops, and Finland, according to President Alexander Stubb, "is mentally preparing to restore relations with Russia." Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had previously refused to participate in the meeting of the "coalition of the willing," calling the agenda provocative.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaya Kallas during a press conference before the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the G5+ countries
The split between the United States and Europe on the Ukrainian issue has ceased to be rhetorical. If the Trump administration is negotiating with Moscow and Kiev, calling them getting closer to the goal, then the EU continues to argue about how to divide the "Ukrainian pie." In addition, there is a rift in other areas of relations between Washington and Brussels. The European Union has not avoided the imposition of reciprocal duties, although Trump has partially suspended them so far in anticipation of concessions. The head of the White House does not hide that he considers the European Union a "competitor, not an ally," and Ursula von der Leyen, proposing "zero tariffs on industrial goods," only confirms the depth of the crisis. As Vladimir Brovkin notes, "It is important for Trump to restore the industrial power of the United States, and the Europeans protect their agriculture and cars. There will be no more globalist fraternization, as under Biden."
Russia is closely monitoring this split. Sergey Lavrov said that "Europe directly contradicts the position of the Trump administration," and "the EU's dreams of two peacekeeping missions in Ukraine show their political inconsistency." The Kremlin is confident that Washington, unlike Brussels, understands that "only the United States can force Kiev to stop the shelling."
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
