Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has proposed the creation of a new European-centred security bloc that would include Ukraine, the EU, the UK, Turkey and Norway, as concerns mount over the future of US support for Nato.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to take the US out of Nato twice in the last month, after he called on Nato allies to join his armada in the Gulf to open the Strait of Hormuz by force and was rebuffed. As IntelliNews reported, that has brought Nato to the brink of breaking up. Trump claims that he has the authority to nix US’ membership in the alliance, but under US law only Congress can vote to exit the treaty.

Speaking amid reports of a potential US withdrawal from the alliance, Zelenskiy said Europe needed to take greater responsibility for its own defence. He suggested that a broader coalition, anchored by Ukraine’s military capabilities, could provide a credible deterrent against Russia.

“Without Ukraine and Turkey, Europe will not have an army comparable to the Russian one. With Ukraine, Turkey, Norway, and Britain, you will control security at sea – and not just one,” Zelenskiy said. He added that he remained confident Ukraine would ultimately join the EU.

Since taking office, Trump has aggressively pushed for European Nato allies to increase their spending from 2% of GDP mandated by the Welsh Nato summit in 2015 to 5% by 2035 agreed at the Nato summit in the Hague last year. This year all Nato members reached the 2% of GDP spending level for the first time with Poland spending the most, 4.3% of GDP, as it attempts to build the largest conventional army in Europe.

Despite the pledges, the US has withdrawn from supplying Ukraine with weapons directly under the Trump administration and Europe has been unable to offset the end of US weapons deliveries to Ukraine which fell in the last year. The US now provides Ukraine with weapons under the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) programme, where Europe pays for them.

The proposal for a new Nato comes as Kyiv seeks strong security guarantees as part of the ongoing ceasefire talks with Russia. The White House has offered a US security deal, but Trump made it explicit this month, the deal won’t go through until Bankova gives up the remaining parts of the Donetsk region in the Donbas that the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) still control. That is a red line for Zelenskiy, who continues to refuse until not only the US deal is signed, but also ratified by Congress, giving it the status of an international treaty the president can’t undo.

Ukrainians have become more ambivalent towards membership in the alliance, torn between the need for security assurances and lingering scepticism about the bloc’s effectiveness. According to a recent poll, 68.9% of Ukrainians support joining Nato, but only 54.7% say they trust the alliance, while 41.5% express distrust. Support for the idea of reacquiring nuclear weapons has also begun to rise, as another way to prevent Russia’s re-invasion in the future.

Survey findings suggest that perceptions of Nato are closely tied to its tangible actions during the war. Some 18.5% of respondents said their level of trust depended primarily on the practical assistance provided by the alliance. Other significant factors included protection for Ukraine, cited by 13.3%, and the provision of security guarantees, identified by 11.8%.

At the same time, dissatisfaction with Nato’s conduct during the conflict remains a key driver of scepticism. As IntelliNews reported, the strategy from the start has been “some, but not enough” supplies to ensure Ukraine doesn’t lose the war, but not enough so it can actually win. That formula has perpetuated the war and ensures the maximum casualties. It also means that the Western allies have withheld supplies of their most powerful weapons, long-range missiles like Germany’s Taurus in particular. Many Ukrainians view the alliance as having acted too slowly and indecisively, and as failing to do enough to counter Russian aggression.

Zelenskiy has long lobbied for Nato membership, but has been repeatedly rebuffed, most notably at the Nato summit in Vilnius in July 2023. He also put Nato membership at the top of his “victory plan” list in December 2024 to the outgoing Biden administration, but was ignored again.

As part of the 27-point peace plan (27PPP) thrashed out at the  Moscow meeting on December 3 last year between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the US envoys, it was proposed that Ukraine join the EU in 2027 as a compromise. The EU founding treaty also contains a collective security clause, Article 42/7, that requires all members to come to the military assistance of any member that is attacked. However, most EU members have rejected the idea of an accelerated membership of Ukraine in the EU.

Zelenskiy’s remarks highlight a growing debate in Europe over the continent’s long-term security architecture and the extent to which it can rely on transatlantic support.