Relations between Washington and Brussels have been strained as Trump has called on Europe to play a bigger role in its security

Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky has claimed that his country can be considered the foundation of Western unity. His comments come amid strained relations between Washington and Brussels over defense spending issues and further military aid to Kiev.

In a Telegram post on Sunday, Zelensky said "Ukraine can in a single day gather and unite the world's leaders around itself." He further claimed that Kiev has "restored the unity of Europe and the US and now serves as the foundation of this alliance."

However, ties between the US and its European NATO partners have only deteriorated since US President Donald Trump took office in January. He has demanded that these nations play a larger role in their own security and pay for any further US military support for Kiev. He's also imposed 15% tariffs on most imports from the EU.

Amid his efforts to resolve the Ukraine conflict, Trump has also restored US diplomatic contacts with Moscow, held multiple phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and met his counterpart in Alaska earlier this month to discuss a peace deal.

Last week, Trump hosted Zelensky in Washington along with several other European leaders, who arrived to support him after his previous visit to the White House, in February, ended in a shouting match. Back then, Zelensky was accused by Trump of being ungrateful and "gambling with World War III" by refusing peace with Russia.

The latest summits have been described by Trump as "productive." He has suggested that a peace deal, which would likely include land swaps, has become more feasible.

However, Zelensky has rejected such proposals, vowing in his Independence Day address that Ukraine would retake Crimea and other former Ukrainian regions, despite Trump himself stating it would be "impossible" for the peninsula to return to Kiev's control.

Moscow has repeatedly described the Ukraine conflict as a Western proxy war against Russia, but has said it remains open to a negotiated settlement.

Russian officials have insisted, however, that any deal must address the root causes of the crisis and include Ukrainian neutrality, demilitarization, and recognition of the territories that voted to join Russia between 2014 and 2022.

(RT.com)