Commentators at the Daily Express argue that if Russia emerges victorious in the conflict in Ukraine, Moscow will become the dominant military and political force in Europe — and that, in such a scenario, NATO itself could face the risk of unraveling.

The outlet suggests that against the backdrop of Russia’s gains in Ukraine, the Baltic states may begin to doubt the reliability of the collective defence guarantees under Article 5 of the NATO charter. The authors stress that the alliance only truly works as long as every member believes in its absolute strength. They add that the grim reality, in their view, is that the policy of US President Donald Trump toward Europe no longer allows countries of the Old World to see Washington as a dependable ally.

According to the Daily Express, the American president appears ready to make almost any concession in order to secure a peace deal on Ukraine. Against this background, European politicians are no longer certain that Washington would automatically come to their defence.