If Europe was strong, it could hit back hard against any bullying from Donald Trump. Brussels and the United Kingdom would be able to match any tariffs on their goods with taxes on U.S. imports. They could add extra duties on carbon-intensive trade to punish the new U.

With Russia wearing down Ukraine’s stretched forces and U.S. President Donald Trump pressuring the two sides to end their nearly 3-year-old war, Kyiv and some of its European allies are discussing how that might be achieved in a way that would guarantee Ukraine’s future security.

The attacks come as Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania prepare to cut on February 8 their electricity links to Russia and Belarus.

But there’s a surprising case in which Europe is cautiously optimistic: Ukraine. Trump’s threat to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday to impose new tariffs and sanctions on Moscow if it didn’t reach a deal to stop the war sent a welcome message to European allies and other Ukraine supporters.

Since Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia’s economy has surpassed expectations. But some experts say this image of resilience is a mirage crafted by the Kremlin.

Poland's president has said that gas flows from Russia to Western Europe should never be restored, even if Russia and Ukraine reach a peace deal. Andrzej Duda told the BBC that the Nord Stream gas pipelines,

French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot says Putin's regime has already fallen about EUR 400 billion short as a result of EU sanctions, which is equivalent to three years of financing its war against Ukraine,

Russia has lost about twice as many men to death and serious injury as Ukraine. But the trends favor the Kremlin.

A record 47% of the European Union’s electricity is from solar and other renewables, showing the gap between the EU and Trump's fossil fuel push.

Speaking a day after Trump’s inauguration, Ukraine’s president told world leaders at Davos that Europe needs to remain united and “learn how to take care of itself.”