Syracuse

The image of King Charles III welcoming Volodymyr Zelensky to Sandringham evokes memories of his grandfather, George VI, standing firm as Britain held the line before the United States entered the war. Since then, Europe has relied on Washington's security umbrella. But that era may be coming to an end. Last Friday, Ukraine's president was caught off guard on live television, confronted with rhetoric strikingly similar to Kremlin talking points that shifted blame for the war onto Kyiv and NATO. What was supposed to be a solemn debrief of PM Keir Starmer's visit to Washington instead turned into an urgent strategy session in London. If NATO's future is in doubt, is Europe truly prepared to defend itself? And with Trump appearing to align himself with Putin, is the continent now closer than ever to direct confrontation with Russia?