Grant Shapps, the former UK Defence Secretary, has launched a scathing attack on Donald Trump’s handling of Russia, accusing the former U.S. president of emboldening Vladimir Putin through appeasement and dangerous equivocation.
Speaking at a security forum in London this week, Shapps pulled no punches as he criticised Trump’s recent comments on a Russian missile strike in Ukraine – an attack that left multiple civilians dead and drew international condemnation.
Trump, to the disgust of many, described the strike as a “mistake” and cautioned against what he called “provoking Russia.”
For Shapps, such remarks are not merely naïve, but morally indefensible. “Calling a deliberate missile strike that kills innocent people a ‘mistake’ is not just a mischaracterisation,” he said. “It is a failure of moral clarity – and worse, it sends a dangerous signal to those who believe they can trample over international law without consequence.”
Shapps, a prominent voice on foreign policy within the Conservative Party, argued that Trump’s ambiguity over Russia’s conduct undermines the transatlantic unity painstakingly rebuilt since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He warned that autocrats like Putin thrive when Western leadership falters.
“When a President of the United States – a country that once led the free world in confronting tyranny – begins to equivocate over the actions of a murderous regime, we must all take notice,” Shapps told the audience. “History teaches us that appeasement only invites further aggression.”
Trump has frequently clashed with NATO allies, questioned the value of longstanding alliances, and openly praised strongmen such as Putin and Kim Jong-un. Though he approved lethal aid to Ukraine, he also perpetuated a narrative that suggested the United States was being taken advantage of by its partners – rhetoric that unnerved defence officials on both sides of the Atlantic.
“Ukraine is not just a battleground for territory,” he has previously said. “It is a battleground for the principles of sovereignty, self-determination, and the rule of law. If we cannot stand firm here, then where?
“The Western alliance has shown remarkable resilience, but it is not indestructible. It requires leaders who are prepared to speak with moral certainty, who do not flinch when faced with the realities of tyranny.”
The remarks were welcomed by a number of British MPs across party lines, with some praising Shapps for “saying the quiet part out loud.” Alicia Kearns, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, echoed his concerns, tweeting: “Our American friends must realise the world is watching. Leadership matters – especially when it comes to confronting war crimes and authoritarian regimes.”
Predictably, Shapps’ comments were met with indignation from Trump’s allies in the U.S., who accused him of meddling in American politics and misunderstanding Trump’s approach to diplomacy. One senior Republican aide described the remarks as “typical European handwringing” and insisted that Trump’s “America First” stance would restore peace through strength.
But Shapps appeared undeterred, insisting that the stakes were too high for polite silence.
“In 1938, Europe learned the cost of indulging tyrants,” he concluded. “We cannot afford to make the same mistake again in 2025.”
As Europe grapples with the ongoing war on its eastern flank and prepares for a potentially seismic shift in U.S. leadership, Shapps’ warning serves as a stark reminder: the future of the West may hinge not only on battlefields in Ukraine, but on the clarity – or lack thereof – in the hearts of its leaders.
