The events of the past week have hammered home an uncomfortable truth for European leaders. Despite their efforts, the heads of Europe’s most powerful governments wield little to no influence over the most powerful person on the planet, U.S. President Donald Trump.

This stark reality is especially unwelcome at this moment, as the White House appears determined to push through a deal that Trump hopes will end the largest land war in Europe since World War II.

For Europeans, the latest peace proposal represents an appeasement to Vladimir Putin, rewarding him for invading a neighboring country. Trump’s plan would see more Ukrainian land than Russia currently occupies handed over. It would force Ukraine to effectively rewrite its constitution, barring it from joining NATO in exchange for vague security guarantees, should Putin decide he wants another bite of the cherry. For Ukraine and its supporters, this is completely unacceptable.

Earlier this week, the leaders of the U.K., France, and Germany gathered in London with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss several issues, most notably the use of frozen Russian assets and how best to counter Trump’s demands. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz offered the mildest criticism of Trump’s plan, stating: “I’m skeptical about some of the details which we are seeing in the documents coming from U.S. side. That’s why we are here.”

We don’t know whether Trump saw these comments, but the U.S. President made his position on Europe and Ukraine perfectly clear on Tuesday morning via a statement. Trump accused Europe of talking “too much” and not delivering anything. He said that Putin has the “upper hand” and that Zelensky must “get on the ball and start … accepting things,” presumably referring to the Russia-friendly plan.

Trump’s words will have stung for two reasons.

First, he has largely taken control of the Ukraine peace process—despite the war’s outcome mattering more to Europe than America—by negotiating over their heads directly with the Kremlin. When coupled with the growing contempt Trump shows for Ukraine and Europe, as was evident in his Administration’s actions, the continent appears completely excluded from decisions being made about its own future at the most tumultuous period in its post-war history.

Second, there is very little Europeans can do to push back against Trump. European allies are responding and intensifying their focus on continental security, but remain utterly reliant on the U.S. security umbrella. The U.S. outstrips every other NATO ally in every meaningful metric. The U.S. has the largest army, produces more weapons, uses more sophisticated equipment, and has better intelligence than everyone else to the point it’s almost embarrassing.

This, naturally, affects Europe’s ability to support Ukraine. Even if Europe manages to plug the gap since Trump took office, it still needs U.S. equipment and weapons. Even as Europe provides those items for the Ukrainians, a mercurial Trump can still ban Kyiv from using them at any time. The Trump Administration has withheld and restricted U.S. intelligence with Ukraine before. Without U.S. intelligence locating strategic targets inside Russia and warning of incoming aerial attacks, Ukraine’s job of defending itself becomes much harder.

A time may come in the future when Europe has built up a defense industrial complex, armed forces, and security capabilities that mean it is no longer reliant on the U.S. But the threat from Russia is here right now. If Ukraine is forced into a bad deal, Putin’s power within Europe will undoubtedly grow. That would further embolden Russia as it continues to test European allies. That is why Ukraine’s fate is so important.

For now, Europe’s leaders face the enormous challenge of propping up Ukraine while keeping Trump onside at a time when he seems closer to Russia’s way of thinking than ever. Russia went so far as praising Trump’s National Security Strategy, saying it was “largely consistent with our vision.”

For those who need reminding, that document lays bare the U.S. Administration’s view that European nations are on an economic and military path to no longer being “reliable allies,” while promoting “strategic stability” with Russia.

These are terrifying times for Europe. Between the war in Ukraine, Russian incursions into European airspace, and the White House warming to the Kremlin, the only option leaders now have is to ride two horses at once, hoping they don’t get bucked off. Europe’s fate is no longer in its own hands.