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Lessons from Europe: 'Kissing the ring' doesn't win Donald Trump's support
Shyam Saran
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For an outside observer, it was painful to watch the orchestrated obsequiousness of some of the world's most powerful nations in front of US President Donald Trump at the meeting on Ukraine in Washington on Monday. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine joined the seven key European leaders — Emmanuel Macron of France, Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom, Friedrich Merz of Germany, Giorgia Meloni of Italy, Alexander Stubb of Finland, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Union, and Mark Rutte, secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato).
They competed for Mr Trump's approbation by lauding him

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Europe must shoulder ‘lion's share' of burden for Ukraine security: JD Vance
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Trump vows executive order to end mail-in ballots, voting machines ahead of 2026 midterms
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