Democracy is an illusion! It’s become a political system fostered by the élite, for the élite, in order to fool the people that they have a stake in the system. In actual fact, they have virtually none. The whole political system in the modern era, despite having noble beginnings, is now used to benefit the few at the expense of the many. – Mark Alexander, June 29, 2018
Saturday, 13 December 2025
Has Europe Got Any Influence over President Trump? | DW News
Dec 12, 2025 | Recent developments in the war in Ukraine have left European countries wondering if they have any influence on President Trump. Last Friday, Washington released a new National Security Strategy criticising Europe. US President Trump said this week that some European leaders are stupid. There is also those Russian funds frozen in Belgium. On Friday the EU indefinitely froze the money to ensure Russia-friendly governments in Hungary and Slovakia do not prevent the money from being used to help Ukraine. Russia's central bank is suing the Belgium-based Euroclear, the bank that holds most of those assets, claiming freezing the assets is illegal. On Friday Belgium's prime minister visited Downing Street in London where he was lobbied to end Belgium's resistance to using the assets for Ukraine's benefit. Brussels fears it will be left to repay the money to Russia when the war in Ukraine ends.
