Steve Cortes, Founder of the League of American Workers, has suggested that European countries criticizing a proposed Ukraine peace deal should assume responsibility for funding and arming Kyiv. This statement was made on the social media platform X.
“Mark if the deal is “ridiculous” from a European viewpoint, then those advanced nations are welcome to provide all the weapons and money needed, without America,” said Cortes. “We’re tired of protectorates, and esp when the main beneficiary Zelensky is so utterly corrupt.”
A U.S.-backed 28-point peace plan for Ukraine has faced criticism in Kyiv and across Europe. The plan would require Ukraine to surrender the entire Donbas region and significantly reduce its armed forces, terms that many allies view as near-capitulation. European leaders have drafted a counter-proposal and, during talks in Geneva, urged Washington to refine the plan while emphasizing red lines concerning Ukrainian territory and NATO’s role. According to Reuters, U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators are now working on an updated framework following this European pushback amid ongoing debates about burden-sharing.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine has received over €309 billion in aid from 41 countries, with Europe currently bearing most of the financial burden. An August 2025 analysis by Al Jazeera based on the Kiel Institute’s Ukraine Support Tracker indicates that the United States has allocated approximately €114.6 billion, while European countries collectively have allocated around €167.4 billion and committed about €257.4 billion. This data suggests that “Team Europe” provides the majority of long-term support.
Public opinion reveals war fatigue but continued backing for Ukraine on both sides of the Atlantic. In March and August 2025, Gallup found that 46% of Americans believe the U.S. is not doing enough to support Ukraine—the highest share in three years—while 25–30% think it is doing too much. A March 2025 survey titled “Ukraine: After the Fallout” by More in Common found sizeable majorities in the UK, France, Germany, and Poland still support continued European assistance to Kyiv even if the U.S. reduces its involvement; however, there is growing concern about escalation.
Cortes is also President of League of American Workers and serves as a senior political advisor to CatholicVote. He previously worked as a senior advisor to President Trump and JD Vance and is known for his commentary on Fox News and CNN. Cortes frequently publishes documentaries and columns at cortesinvestigates.com.
