Time For An America Plus Strategy?

War is not cheap. As TBI puts it, Europe could be dragged into a “hot” war, the cost of which could be orders of magnitude higher than the cost of securing peace and deterrence today, says “Ukraine shows that spending around 35 per cent of GDP on defence or suffering a 30 per cent economic contraction is possible

What was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s crime? He just asked US Vice President J D Vance to come and see the war-torn country’s crisis and how Russian President Vladimir Putin has been breaking the ceasefire agreements.

Then Zelensky said – “First of all, during the war, everybody has problems, even you. But you have a nice ocean and don't feel it now. But you will feel it in the future. God bless –”

This angered the arrogant Trump who sounded like Gabbar Singh of Sholay when he authoritatively snubbed Zelensky saying you cannot dictate us on what “we are going to feel”.

Trump later went on and on trying to browbeat Zelensky. “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people, you’re gambling with World War III and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to this country,” Trump told Zelensky.

Trump obviously wanted to remind Zelensky that Ukraine is at the mercy of the US. “If you didn’t have our military equipment, this war would have been over in two weeks.” Yes, the pre-Trump regime which was keen to get Ukraine into NATO extended support to it when Putin invaded the breadbasket of Europe. Make no mistake, the US or for that matter many European nations have a vested strategic interest in supporting; and it is the business interest and just not their anti-Russia stance. Europe has farm and energy interests in Ukraine. The US set its eyes on Ukraine’s minerals.

Apparently to influence the world opinion against Zelensky, Trump declared unilaterally that the Ukraine President is not ready for Peace if America is involved. “He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace,” said Trump in his social media post.

What prompts Trump’s Dadagiri over Ukraine? You can get an idea of the Biden regime’s backing to Ukraine’s war against Russia if you look at what the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs under the US Depart of State said in its fact sheet on January 20, 2025. “The United States, our allies, and our partners worldwide are united in support of Ukraine in response to Russia’s premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified war against Ukraine.  We have not forgotten Russia’s earlier aggression in eastern Ukraine and occupation following its unlawful seizure of Crimea in 2014.  The United States reaffirms its unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, extending to its territorial waters”.

Obviously, this note was prepared by the officers from the Biden administration. Please look at the polite language used in the fact sheet: “Ukraine is a key regional strategic partner that has undertaken significant efforts to modernize its military and increase its interoperability with NATO. It remains an urgent security assistance priority to provide Ukraine the equipment it needs to defend itself against Russia’s war against Ukraine”.

The US provided $65.9 billion in military assistance since Russia launched its “premeditated, unprovoked, and brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022”, and approximately $69.2 billion in military assistance since Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014. “We have now used the emergency Presidential Drawdown Authority on 55 occasions since August 2021 to provide Ukraine military assistance totalling approximately $27.688 billion from DoD stockpiles,” said the factsheet.

The US has kept Zelensky literally under its thumb and Trump thinks that the former will not have the guts to even murmur if Ukraine is pressured to succumb. Zelensky was apparently emboldened by the way in which French President Macron corrected Trump during a joint Press Conference. Barely three days before the showdown, French President Emmanuel Macron used his visit to the U.S. to publicly push back on President Donald Trump's repeated attacks on Ukraine, fact-checking his American counterpart in real-time and urging caution in talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as ABC News reported.

“It’s crucial for us to have President Trump’s support. He wants to end the war, but no one wants peace more than we do,” Zelensky said. “We are the ones living this war in Ukraine. It’s a fight for our freedom, for our very survival… Our situation is tough, but we can’t just stop fighting and not have guarantees that Putin will not return tomorrow.”

As Zelensky was asked to leave The White House, he thanked the US and said Ukraine counts on Trump’s support.Immediately after the Oval Office showdown, Europe and Most of the world leaders, too, expressed their support for Ukraine. Sample this:

Zelensky on X -A good meeting with the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, to develop a joint action plan to end the war with a just and sustainable peace. No one is interested in the continuation and rapid return of the war, except for Putin, so it is important to maintain unity around Ukraine and strengthen the positions of our state in interaction with allies - European countries and the United States.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, “We stand “The people of Ukraine are fighting not just for their own national sovereignty, they are fighting for the international rule of law.”

Belgium's Prime Minister, Bart De Wever, posted on X: "We stand behind Ukraine and the Ukrainian people in their historic fight to defend themselves against an unprovoked Russian aggression. Their fight is our fight. United we are strong."

Canada stands by Ukraine, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said. “Russia illegally and unjustifiably invaded Ukraine…For three years now, Ukrainians have fought with courage and resilience. Their fight for democracy, freedom, and sovereignty is a fight that matters to us all,” he said

Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission hailed Ukraine’s bravery.”Be strong, be brave, be fearless. You are never alone, dear President @ZelenskyyUa.We will continue working with you for a just and lasting peace.”

Incoming German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz said “We must never confuse aggressor and victim in this terrible war.”

The time for hesitation has passed. The cost of inaction is simply too great – both for Ukraine and for Europe. By investing in Ukraine’s immediate needs and overhauling Europe’s own defence capabilities, Europe can help defend Ukraine’s sovereignty, end the conflict, and ensure long-term peace, says Tony Blair Institute (TBI) for Global Change

War is not cheap. As TBI puts it, Europe could be dragged into a “hot” war, the cost of which could be orders of magnitude higher than the cost of securing peace and deterrence today, says “Ukraine shows that spending around 35 per cent of GDP on defence or suffering a 30 per cent economic contraction is possible.

During the Korean war, the US allocated approximately 14 percent of its GDP to defence. Even during the war on terror, defence spending reached 5 percent of GDP for small-scale counterinsurgency operations, and more than a trillion dollars were spent in Afghanistan alone,” says the TBI in a research paper.

The world is at a crossroads and everybody knows that nobody can afford any war and World War III is out of question. But the diplomatic community will not take Trump’s aggressive economic and defence policies lightly. He must be checked in time. Much as China, the rest of the world should have the courage to stand up to the US.

Is it time to think of an AMERICA PLUS strategy, as the world did with China post-COVID crisis? Let the world think over it and act. India, are you listening?Let us discuss further.

(The columnist is a Mumbai-based author and independent media veteran, running websites and a YouTube channel known for his thought-provoking messaging.)