As Donald Trump and Elon Musk aggressively leverage technology, intelligence, and military aid, Europe should act accordingly in defense of its interests.
“It must be said, we are entering a new era,” French president Emmanuel Macron proclaimed in a speech to his nation on March 5.
He added, “The United States of America, our ally, has changed its position on this war, supporting Ukraine less and leaving doubt about what comes next.”
Over the past month, Europe has watched the United States abandon its long-standing foreign policy positions as it embraces the Kremlin. U.S. president Donald Trump has parroted Russian talking points and adopted aspects of Moscow’s negotiating positions without securing any concessions.
Instead of diplomacy, Trump has resorted to coercing and pressuring the smaller side to force a bad deal at any cost. Now, the administration is weaponizing U.S. technology, military aid, and intelligence as leverage against Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
U.S. Reins In Tech Support
In recent weeks, Trump has attempted to bully Ukraine into what was initially an unjust minerals deal, threatening Kyiv with “a lot of problems” if it refused. Zelensky rejected the proposal outright, stating, “I can’t sell Ukraine”
Meanwhile, Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Moscow Direct Investment Fund, allegedly urged Trump to demand $300 billion in compensation from Ukraine, citing false U.S. losses from exiting the Moscow market.
The deal would have placed all revenues into a U.S.-controlled fund until it reached $500 billion, more than twice Ukraine’s pre-war GDP. Zelensky dismissed the demand as wildly disproportionate to the $120 billion in U.S. aid provided.
Furious over the rejection, Trump’s team reportedly saw it as a justification to replace Zelensky, echoing his 2019 pressure campaign. Eventually, they reached a deal, and Zelensky was set to return to the White House for the official signing.
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Then came the shakedown at the White House. The extraordinary Oval Office clash between President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and President Zelensky was described by Axios as “perhaps the most epic televised foreign policy row in history.”
Germany’s CDU leader Friedrich Merz said on March 3 that the White House deliberately orchestrated the confrontation with Zelensky.
But the Oval Office clash was just one part of a broader pressure campaign. Before that, Reuters reported that U.S. negotiators pressured Kyiv to grant access to Ukraine’s critical minerals, even suggesting restrictions on its access to Starlink, the Elon Musk-owned satellite system. They raised the issue after Zelensky rejected a plan from the U.S. treasury secretary Scott Bessent.
The Reuters report sparked enough controversy that Poland swiftly stepped in to add clarity. Polish deputy prime minister Krzysztof Gawkowski announced that Warsaw has been funding Ukraine’s Starlink subscription and will continue to do so, despite reports that U.S. negotiators would cut off Ukraine’s access. Since Russia’s invasion, Poland has provided 20,000 Starlink units and covered their operational costs.
Elon Musk responded to the report on social media, commenting, “This is false.”
His statement did not ease concerns about further weaponization of U.S. technology. This is especially viable as the Trump administration aligns more closely with Vladimir Putin.
There have been controversies over Musk’s control over Starlink access. Previously, he refused to activate Starlink over Crimea since he wanted to avoid complicity in what he called a “major act of war.”
His comments came in response to claims in Walter Isaacson’s 2023 biography that he had deliberately cut off Starlink to prevent a Ukrainian drone strike on Russia’s Black Sea fleet, fearing it could provoke a nuclear response. The author later retracted his accusation as Starlink had not been activated over Crimea.
Ukrainian officials accused him of enabling Russian attacks, arguing that by not activating Starlink, he has effectively allowed Russian warships to continue launching deadly missile strikes on Ukrainian cities.
Due to the recent Starlink controversy, Ukrainian defense minister Rustem Umerov said the country is already exploring alternatives to Starlink for frontline communications, though no specific details were disclosed.
Starlink has been essential to the Ukrainian military, serving as the backbone of frontline communications. However, Ukraine has already been integrating alternative satellite communications systems, such as Kymeta, for its sea drones to reduce reliance on Starlink.
Musk’s refusal to activate Starlink for Ukraine’s Black Sea drone operations should have already served as a warning to Europe. In the future, the continent cannot afford to rely on a system controlled by a single individual.
Critical infrastructure, especially in defense, must be firmly under European control, not at the mercy of a billionaire across the Atlantic. Musk has already started pushing on social media for the United States to withdraw from NATO.
The implications extend beyond Ukraine.
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If Russia were to invade Europe, particularly the Baltics, there is no guarantee that individuals like Musk wouldn’t restrict Starlink access to European nations. Trump did, after all, threaten 25 percent tariffs on EU imports, claiming the bloc was created “to screw” the United States.
Seeing that Musk did not extend access to occupied Crimea, he could do so again, framing it as an effort to prevent nuclear escalation.
According to Bloomberg, Italy is already reconsidering a €1.5 billion deal with Elon Musk’s Starlink for military and government use, citing shifting U.S. commitments to European security, including Ukraine. Now, the Franco-British satellite operator Eutelsat may be a potential alternative to Starlink for Europe and Ukraine.
However, it could take months before Eutelsat can provide the Ukrainian military and civilians with connectivity comparable to Starlink’s current capabilities.
This current situation reflects Europe’s lack of foresight, as preparations should have begun over three years ago when Russia launched its full-scale invasion. Without American support, Europe remains ill-prepared to defend itself should Russian forces advance across Eastern Europe if Ukraine falls.
The technology concerns aren’t limited to only Starlink’s satellite capabilities. Yaroslav Trofimov, the chief foreign affairs correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, expressed concerns over the United States potentially disabling the HIMARS targeting in Ukraine, stating that such actions will lead European nations to view American technology as a security risk.
Meanwhile, Trump’s rhetoric reinforces the shift of America’s alignment with the Kremlin. He recently wrote, “We should spend less time worrying about Putin, and more time worrying about migrant rape gangs, drug lords, murderers, and people from mental institutions entering our country—so that we don’t end up like Europe!”
What is clear is that the Trump administration has shown a willingness to weaponize whatever it deems necessary to achieve its goals. Europe must take note and prepare for this scenario, as the United States is becoming an increasingly unreliable ally.
The only viable path forward is for Europe to strengthen its defenses, alongside Ukraine, to counter future threats from Russia. The world order is crumbling quickly, and Europe needs to move faster than ever before in order to survive.
David Kirichenko is a freelance journalist and an associate research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, a London-based think tank. He can be found on X@DVKirichenko.
Image Credit: Shutterstock./Fredric Legrande.