Trump-Europe-Ukraine Meeting: Selling Division of Labor and Strategic Sequencing

“Following the recent meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and the following meeting of European leaders, the Ukrainian president and President Trump in Washington, a predictable US policy had begun to take shape.

As stated as early as February of this year by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, speaking to European leaders at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, Europe was tasked with taking over Washington’s proxy war with Russia in Ukraine by ramping up NATO spending, arms production, and the transfer of material support to Ukraine, allowing the US to pivot to the Asia-Pacific prioritizing the containment of China there…”

References:

First Principles

NEO – Trump-Europe-Ukraine Meeting: Selling Division of Labor and Strategic Sequencing (Aug. 20, 2025):

Trump-Europe-Ukraine Meeting: Selling Division of Labor and Strategic Sequencing

US DoD – Opening Remarks by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Feb. 12, 2025):
https://www.defense.gov/News/Speeches…

Marathon Initiative – Strategic Sequencing, Revisited (2024):
https://themarathoninitiative.org/wp-…

NYT – U.S. STRATEGY PLAN CALLS FOR INSURING NO RIVALS DEVELOP (1992):
https://www.nytimes.com/1992/03/08/wo…

NYT – The Spy War: How the C.I.A. Secretly Helps Ukraine Fight Putin (Feb. 2024):
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/25/wo…

NYT – The Partnership: The Secret History of the War in Ukraine (Mar. 29, 2025):
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2…

RAND Corporation – Extending Russia, Competing from Advantageous Ground (2019):
https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand…

Continuity of Agenda

Guardian – Iran and Russia stand to lose from US deal with Azerbaijan and Armenia (Aug. 9, 2025):
https://www.theguardian.com/world/202…

Bloomberg – US, Gulf Pressure to Fully Disarm Hezbollah Puts Lebanon on Edge (Aug. 9, 2025):
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articl…

ABC News – US, Philippines discuss missile system deployments as tensions rise (Aug. 14, 2025):
https://abcnews.go.com/International/…

Past for Future

Guardian – US campaign behind the turmoil in Kiev (2004):
https://www.theguardian.com/world/200…

NYT – In Ukraine Conflict, Putin Relies on a Promise That Ultimately Wasn’t (2022):
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/09/us…

AP – No apologies: Germany’s Merkel defends approach to Ukraine (2022):
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukr…

RFE/RL – After Meeting Russian Foreign Minister, Clinton Hails Fresh Start (2009):
https://www.rferl.org/a/After_Meeting…

Reuters – Georgia started war with Russia: EU-backed report (2009):
https://www.reuters.com/article/idUST….

Chatham House – Why the Belarusian revolution has stalled (2021):
https://www.chathamhouse.org/2021/02/…