{"id":2703970,"date":"2026-11-12T00:26:02","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T05:26:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/can-trumps-weakness-be-europes-opportunity-for-peace\/"},"modified":"2026-11-12T00:35:29","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T05:35:29","slug":"can-trumps-weakness-be-europes-opportunity-for-peace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/can-trumps-weakness-be-europes-opportunity-for-peace\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Trump\u2019s Weakness Be Europe\u2019s Opportunity for Peace?"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcan-trumps-weakness-be-europes-opportunity-for-peace%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2703970&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Last week\u2019s midterms weakened Trump and emboldened European leaders as U.S. efforts to end the Ukraine war resume. Kushner-led Abu Dhabi talks expanded to europe\u2019s security architecture,sparking debate over whether such talks reward Russian aggression or are necessary. Finland and Norway have quietly opened channels with Moscow, showing Europe can pair diplomacy with deterrence. Europeans should develop realistic, autonomous diplomatic initiatives-while staying wary of Putin\u2019s aims. How Europe uses this opportunity-pursuing tough negotiated security arrangements or merely opposing Trump-will test its strategic autonomy.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"c-blog-post__content s-wysiwyg s-wysiwyg--blog\">\n<div style=\"margin-bottom:30px;\" id=\"elevenlabs-audionative-widget\" data-height=\"90\" data-width=\"100%\" data-frameborder=\"no\" data-scrolling=\"no\" data-publicuserid=\"cb0d9922301244fcc1aeafd0610a8e90a36a320754121ee126557a7416405662\" data-playerurl=\"https:\/\/elevenlabs.io\/player\/index.html\" >Loading the <a href=\"https:\/\/elevenlabs.io\/text-to-speech\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Elevenlabs Text to Speech<\/a> AudioNative Player&#8230;<\/div>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/elevenlabs.io\/player\/audioNativeHelper.js\" type=\"text\/javascript\"><\/script>                            <\/p>\n<p class=\"has-drop-cap wp-block-paragraph\">One consequence of last week\u2019s midterm elections\u2014which brought a historic rout of President Donald Trump\u2019s Republican Party\u2014has been the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/dwcom-berlinbriefing\/svideo-79874606\">emboldening<\/a> of European leaders who have spent much of his second presidency reluctantly appeasing him. This shift comes just as the Trump administration revives an ambitious effort to end the war in Ukraine. The question for Europeans now is whether to use Trump\u2019s weakness to merely resist his diplomacy or to develop a diplomatic initiative of their own.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the days following the elections, Trump <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/europe\/russia-ukraine-meet-us-backed-talks-after-trump-says-broad-deal-possible-2026-11-10\/\">has suggested<\/a> that a peace agreement in Ukraine may be near. Then, following consultations in Brussels between Jared Kushner, Trump\u2019s son-in-law and adviser, and EU and NATO representatives, <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/russia-ukraine-war-putin-zelenskyy-uae-3d878a3e56d5df5bd198a6d20c824d18\">negotiations<\/a> between the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine took place in Abu Dhabi this Tuesday and Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What distinguishes this attempt from previous efforts is that the discussions addressed not only ceasefire arrangements, territorial questions, and another exchange of war prisoners, but the wider architecture of European security. As Kushner <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jaredkushner\/status\/2118535340898025679\">posted<\/a> on X,<\/p>\n<p>                         <!-- \/22404337467,3946880\/theamericanconservative-Leaderboard-Top -->                         <\/p>\n<div id='div-gpt-ad-1742316429780-0' style='min-width: 300px; min-height: 50px; max-width: 100%; '>                         <\/div>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">for more than 30 years, Europe and Russia have struggled to establish a sustainable security framework. Decades of mistrust, competing security concerns, and the devastating consequences of this war make this an extraordinarily difficult challenge, but one that is essential to lasting peace.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is a rather remarkable admission from an American official that any durable settlement must address not only Kiev\u2019s legitimate security interests but also Moscow\u2019s, including the need to anchor a broader relationship between Russia and the West.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moscow has consistently insisted on this wider framework. In December 2021, Russia submitted <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/world\/russia-unveils-security-guarantees-says-western-response-not-encouraging-2021-12-17\/\">proposals<\/a> demanding sweeping changes to Europe\u2019s security arrangements, which Washington and NATO rejected. Russia subsequently launched its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/6-major-things-biden-failed-to-address-in-his-speech-to-congress\/\" title=\"6 Major Things Biden Failed To ... In His Speech To Congress\">full-scale invasion<\/a> of Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is understandable why Europeans view even the possibility of such a discussion as a reward for Russian aggression. As Constanze Stelzenm\u00fcller, a German expert from the Brookings Institution, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ConStelz\/status\/2117593564704071870\">put it<\/a>, \u201c\u2018Europe\u2019s postwar security architecture\u2019 is already a linguistic concession to the Kremlin.\u201d The EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has rejected the idea out of hand, insisting that the <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/kajakallas\/status\/2119851495307022688\">existing arrangements<\/a> based on NATO should instead be strengthened.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While justified in view of Moscow\u2019s attempts to dictate its neighbours\u2019 security policies, these reactions do not offer any plausible way forward. With the war tragically grinding on for almost five years, and with Russian defeat ever so elusive, it is hard to imagine a sustainable end to the fighting without addressing the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stimson.org\/2023\/elements-of-an-eventual-russia-ukraine-armistice-and-the-prospect-for-regional-stability-in-europe\/\">contours of a post-war European security order<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">None of that means one should justify the invasion of Ukraine or accept Moscow\u2019s maximalist demands. European leaders could take a page from their continent\u2019s own experiences in the Cold War, when NATO\u2019s strength coexisted with arms control and broader negotiations with Moscow such as the Helsinki Process of the 1970s. Deterrence and diplomacy were seen as complementary.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Europe now faces a choice: deterrence alone or coupled with diplomacy. With Democrats gaining control of Congress, the temptation may be strong in Europe to stand up to Trump, particularly as Congress is expected to restore substantial military assistance to Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But European leaders would be wise to tread carefully. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First, a Democratic Congress will not simply replace the president\u2019s foreign policy with its own. Nor should Europeans interpret the Republican defeat as an endorsement of indefinite military entanglements abroad. The disastrous U.S. war on Iran has demonstrated the political costs of military adventurism. Likewise, it would be a mistake to assume that American voters want a return to the interventionist consensus on Ukraine, especially if diplomatic alternatives exist.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Second, there is a difference between rejecting Trump\u2019s strategy and having a viable strategy of one\u2019s own. Europe can, and should, seek to play a constructive diplomatic role independent of Trump\u2019s political fortunes. In recent weeks, some European leaders have tried to do exactly that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On October 27, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr St\u00f8re held a 90-minute <a href=\"https:\/\/www.presidentti.fi\/en\/president-stubb-and-prime-minister-store-held-a-phone-call-with-president-putin\/\">telephone conversation<\/a> with Vladimir Putin, initiated by the European side and in consultation with Ukraine. According to the independent, well-sourced Russian online publication Vlast, the Kremlin <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/faridaily_\/status\/2118699117111112055\">welcomed<\/a> the contact and expressed interest in establishing a sustained negotiating process. Stubb and St\u00f8re both painted a picture of a Putin who was reasonable and respectful on the call.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The initiative is significant precisely because Finland and Norway are NATO members firmly committed to Ukraine\u2019s security. Neither country can plausibly be accused of having appeased Moscow since the war in Ukraine began. Yet both apparently recognize that European security cannot be managed indefinitely through military deterrence alone.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Putin, Vlast reports, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/faridaily_\/status\/2119745102449143981\">views<\/a> the Nordic leaders as more promising interlocutors than their counterparts in London, Paris, or Berlin, all of whom Moscow sees as committed to its \u201cstrategic defeat.\u201d After the call, Putin <a href=\"https:\/\/ru.themoscowtimes.com\/2026\/11\/07\/putin-ostalsya-dovolen-zvonkom-liderov-norvegii-ifinlyandii-vislushavshih-ego-istoricheskuyu-lektsiyu-oprichinah-voini-vukraine-a210704\">praised<\/a> Stubb and St\u00f8re for their \u201cconstructive approach\u201d\u2014seemingly standard language that is actually remarkable given that Moscow has lately been framing Europe as its main enemy. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For different reasons, Putin may prefer Helsinki and Oslo not only to other European capitals, but to Washington too. If Trump has failed to deliver anything meaningful, from Moscow\u2019s perspective, in two years, he may be even less likely to do so once the Democrats take control of Congress in January and the Republican president becomes more distracted by domestic politics. Crucially, both Stubb and St\u00f8re understand that any negotiations with Moscow will be a long and fraught process. That marks a sharp contrast from Trump, who focuses on securing quick political wins for himself.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Finnish-Norwegian initiative shows that European independence from Trump does not necessarily mean adopting a more confrontational posture toward Moscow. In that context, the Nordic track looks like a credible opening for ultimately bringing Europe into the U.S.\u2013Russia\u2013Ukraine negotiations. <\/p>\n<section class=\"c-subscribe-email\" >\n<div class=\"l-container\">\n<div class=\"c-subscribe-email__wrap\">\n<div class=\"c-subscribe-email__head\">\n<h4 class=\"c-subscribe-email__heading\">Subscribe Today<\/h4>\n<h5 class=\"c-subscribe-email__subheading\">Get daily emails in your inbox<\/h5>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-subscribe-email__form-wrap\">      <!-- Begin Mailchimp Signup Form -->      <\/p>\n<div id=\"mc_embed_signup\">\n<form id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" class=\"validate\" action=\"https:\/\/theamericanconservative.us4.list-manage.com\/subscribe\/post?u=442e644c01f8e54e26e4ff3f8&#038;id=f7b67cac40\" method=\"post\" name=\"mc-embedded-subscribe-form\" novalidate target=\"_blank\">\n<div id=\"mc_embed_signup_scroll\">\n<div class=\"c-subscribe-email__fields\">              <label for=\"mce-EMAIL\" class=\"u-screenreader-text\">Email Address:<\/label>              <input id=\"mce-EMAIL\" class=\"c-subscribe-email__field\" name=\"EMAIL\" type=\"email\" value=\"\" placeholder=\"Your Email\" \/>              <input id=\"mc-embedded-subscribe\" class=\"c-subscribe-email__submit o-button o-button--red-500 o-button--solid\" name=\"subscribe\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Subscribe\" \/>            <\/div>\n<div id=\"mce-responses\" class=\"clear\">\n<div id=\"mce-error-response\" class=\"response\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/div>\n<div id=\"mce-success-response\" class=\"response\" style=\"display: none;\"><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>              <!-- real people should not fill this in and expect good things - do not remove this or risk form bot signups-->            <\/p>\n<div class=\"u-screenreader-text\" aria-hidden=\"true\">              <input tabindex=\"-1\" name=\"b_442e644c01f8e54e26e4ff3f8_f7b67cac40\" type=\"text\" value=\"\" \/>            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>      <!--End mc_embed_signup-->          <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While this week\u2019s direct talks with Russia in Abu Dhabi did not include the Europeans, both Washington and Moscow increasingly realize that their participation will be unavoidable to ensure that any settlement can be implemented and sustained.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Of course, none of that warrants any illusions about Moscow\u2019s willingness to compromise. Putin is <a href=\"https:\/\/hromadske.ua\/en\/war\/274137-russian-airstrikes-damage-more-than-80-homes-in-sloviansk-as-ukraine-peace-talks-continue\">determined<\/a> to press for military advantage on the battlefield even as his officials negotiate in Abu Dhabi. A clear-eyed recognition of this reality should inform any European diplomatic initiative. But that doesn\u2019t mean diplomacy is doomed to fail.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Trump\u2019s political weakness will give Europe greater freedom of action. Whether Europe uses this new freedom to pursue tough peace negotiations or merely to defy Washington will be a test for European statecraft and strategic autonomy.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Paraphrase<\/p>\n<p>Following last week\u2019s midterm elections, which delivered a sharp setback to Trump\u2019s Republican Party, European leaders feel more empowered after years of reluctantly accommodating him. This comes as the Biden administration restarts an ambitious drive to end the Ukraine war, forcing Europe to decide whether to resist Trump\u2019s diplomacy or to pursue its own diplomatic initiative. After the elections, Trump hinted a Ukraine peace deal might be near. In Brussels, Kushner met EU and NATO officials, and talks among the US, Russia, and Ukraine moved to Abu Dhabi. Unlike earlier efforts, these discussions tackled not only ceasefire terms, borders, and prisoner exchanges but also the broader architecture of European security. Kushner argued that Europe and Russia have spent decades trying to build a lasting security framework, a process complicated by war and mistrust. This marks a rare admission from an American official that any durable settlement must address Moscow\u2019s security interests and foster a wider West-Russia relationship. Russia has long pressed for such a framework; in 2021 it proposed sweeping changes to Europe\u2019s security order, which Washington and NATO rejected, followed by Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>Many Europeans worry that even discussing a wider framework could be seen as rewarding aggression. Some, like Constanze Stelzenm\u00fcller, say Europe\u2019s postwar security order has already become a concession to Moscow. Others, including EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, prefer to strengthen NATO-based arrangements instead. Yet with the war dragging on and Russian defeat not in sight, it\u2019s hard to see how a sustainable end can be reached without considering a postwar European security order. That doesn\u2019t justify Moscow\u2019s invasion or maximalist demands. European leaders could learn from Cold War experience, where deterrence and diplomacy complemented each other. Europe now faces a choice: deterrence alone or deterrence plus diplomacy. With Democrats now controlling Congress, Europe might be tempted to stand up to Trump and resume substantial military aid to Ukraine, but a Democratic majority won\u2019t automatically replace the president\u2019s policy or endorse endless intervention abroad.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s a distinction between rejecting Trump\u2019s approach and having a viable European strategy of its own. Europe can and should play an active, independent diplomatic role. Recently, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr St\u00f8re spoke with Putin, signaling that European leaders can pursue talks with Moscow without appeasement and that Nordic states-long aligned with NATO-are pursuing diplomacy as a path forward. Putin\u2019s praise for their approach suggests he may view the Nordics as more promising interlocutors than London, Paris, or Berlin. That Nordic track could help bring Europe into the U.S.-Russia-Ukraine talks, even as other capitals remain wary. Although the Abu Dhabi talks excluded Europeans, both Washington and Moscow recognize that European involvement will be essential to implement any settlement. Putin remains focused on battlefield gains, but realistic diplomacy is possible if Europe acts with clear aims. Trump\u2019s weakness may grant Europe greater freedom to pursue tough peace negotiations or to resist Washington\u2019s demands, placing a test on European statecraft and strategic autonomy.<\/p>\n<p>Key takeaways<br \/>\n&#8211; Europe is weighing whether to pursue its own diplomacy or resist Trump\u2019s approach to Ukraine.<br \/>\n&#8211; New talks extend beyond immediate war aims to consider the broader security framework of Europe.<br \/>\n&#8211; There is tension between wanting a broader Russia-West framework and preferring NATO-centered security arrangements.<br \/>\n&#8211; Nordic leaders are exploring independent dialogue with Moscow, signaling a potential EU-initiated path into broader negotiations.<br \/>\n&#8211; While Abu Dhabi negotiations highlighted limits of European involvement, both sides acknowledge Europe\u2019s role in any implementable settlement.<br \/>\n&#8211; Trump\u2019s political weakness could grant Europe more room to maneuver, testing its autonomy in diplomacy and security policy<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4491,"featured_media":2703971,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/tac.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/GettyImages-2275422622.jpg?auto=compress&#038;crop=faces%2Centropy&#038;fit=crop&#038;fm=jpg&#038;h=630&#038;ixlib=php-3.3.1&#038;q=80&#038;w=1200","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[8447,32404,4228,3634,87752],"class_list":["post-2703970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-europe","tag-geopolitics","tag-peace","tag-trump","tag-us-eu-relations-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/tac.imgix.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/GettyImages-2275422622.jpg?auto=compress&#038;crop=faces%2Centropy&#038;fit=crop&#038;fm=jpg&#038;h=630&#038;ixlib=php-3.3.1&#038;q=80&#038;w=1200","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2703970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4491"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2703970"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2703970\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2703974,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2703970\/revisions\/2703974"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2703971"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2703970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2703970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2703970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}