While the European leaders in Washington will rely on persuasion, there is an unspoken threat underlying their mission: the potential for a major transatlantic crisis if Donald Trump proceeds with his pro-Russia plan. This leverage, though unstated, adds weight to their arguments in support of Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
This “bodyguard” mission is not just a plea for solidarity; it’s a demonstration of Europe’s strategic importance to the United States. A move by Trump to unilaterally impose a peace deal “over the heads of Europeans” would be seen as a profound betrayal of the alliance.
The consequences could be severe, impacting everything from trade relations, as hinted at by Ursula von der Leyen’s emphasis on the huge US-EU partnership, to security cooperation within NATO. The unity of the delegation, from Italy to Finland, signals that the backlash would be continent-wide.
The European leaders will not issue explicit threats. Instead, they will let their collective presence and the gravity of their unified message speak for itself. The unspoken understanding is that forcing a bad deal on Ukraine would not just end a conflict; it could begin the unraveling of the most important alliance in modern history.