The European Council this week must do two things. Leaders need tangible results, particularly on financing Ukraine. But mainstream governments also say they need to stick up for the EU when the White House is trying to influence policy, and more European leaders than ever \u2015 from Hungary\u2019s Viktor Orb\u00e1n to Czechia\u2019s Andrej Babi\u0161 \u2015 reject Brussels\u2019 accepted wisdom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The EU would be \u201cseverely damaged for years\u201d if it fails to do a deal on funding Ukraine, said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz<\/a> in a German TV interview. \u201cAnd we will show the world that, at such a crucial moment in our history, we are incapable of standing together and acting to defend our own political order on this European continent.\u201d<\/p>\n Trump administration officials have been pushing European governments \u2015 those they consider friendliest at least \u2015 to reject the plan to use \u20ac210 billion in Russian assets to fund Ukraine, four EU officials involved with the discussions told POLITICO. <\/p>\n When EU leaders met in Brussels in October they failed to reach a deal on the immobilized cash because Belgium opposed it. Two months later, it\u2019s clear the EU\u2019s problem isn\u2019t really Belgium, it\u2019s Trump.<\/p>\n