THE FOCUS #122 | Can Europe Defend Itself Without America? | CDRE Patrick Tyrrell OBE RN (Ret.)

What can Britain and its European allies credibly promise Ukraine if they can no longer count on Washington to see those commitments through?

Dr John Bruni puts that question to Commodore Patrick Tyrrell OBE, Royal Navy (Ret.). They discuss how shifts in US policy under President Donald Trump complicate European defence planning. For Kyiv, the immediate concern is whether its partners can sustain military support through a prolonged war. For European governments, the harder question is what they are prepared to do if Russia tests a commitment they have made.

That question brings France’s nuclear deterrent into the discussion. How much confidence could other European countries place in French protection, and what would Paris have to promise for Moscow to take it seriously?

Bruni and Tyrrell also turn to Iran and the wider Middle East, where a fresh crisis could draw American attention just as Europe needs Washington most.