Trumps proposed Russia deal raises NATO alarm as ex-commander warns Putin seeks influence over Europe
President Donald Trump's push for a deal with Russia to end the war in Ukraine and potentially reshape European security has raised alarm among NATO allies, with a former top alliance commander warning Fox News Digital that President Vladimir Putin has long sought to divide the world into competing spheres of influence.The warning came as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also appeared to reject what he called a potential "Yalta 2.0," and NATO allies debated direct outreach to Putin ahead of delegations preparing for talks in Abu Dhabi on Nov.10-11.Retired Gen.
Philip Breedlove, the former Supreme Allied Commander Europe, warned that Putin's ambitions extend far beyond Ukraine and reflect a broader vision for how global powers should divide influence."Putin has a plan for the world, and he has pushed that plan on leaders several times," Breedlove warned before adding: "He talks about it and he writes about it."ZELENSKYY TO SEEK OFFRAMP FOR YEARS-LONG RUSSIA WAR IN UN SPEECH AFTER TRUMP REVEALS PEACE DEAL IS CLOSEFinnish President Alexander Stubb, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, front row from left, and Jonas Gahr Støre, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Ursula von der Leyen, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, back row from left, stand together in the chancellery in Berlin, Germany, on Dec.15, 2025.
(Markus Schreiber, Pool/AP)Trump had suggested Thursday that an agreement with Moscow could extend beyond ending Russia's nearly five-year war in Ukraine."It's going to be a big agreement, and it's going to involve more than Ukraine...I could even say it might involve all of Europe," Trump told reporters after meeting Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev at the White House."It's going to be a big, beaut...