Putin’s ‘window of opportunity’ to test NATO

Europe yet again finds itself on the receiving end of Donald Trump’s ire. On Friday, the U.S. president threatened to raise tariffs on European cars to 25 percent, as frustration grows in Washington over the slow pace of an EU-U.S. trade deal. Trump had also called for withdrawing U.S. troops from Germany earlier in the week as a response to German leader Friedrich Merz’s sharp criticism of the Iran war. On the pod, Zoya and Nick discuss how Brussels and Berlin have scrambled to respond. Also on the show, some officials and lawmakers say that the next two years could be the perfect chance for Russian President Vladimir Putin to test the West’s commitment to NATO. But not everyone agrees with this take. Plus, almost 50 leaders have descended on Yerevan, Armenia for the European Political Community summit taking place today. Nick and Zoya explain why the presence of leaders like Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Canada’s Mark Carney is particularly significant. And finally, May 9 is Europe Day so we want to hear from you ... literally! What sound do you think best encapsulates the continent? Send it to us on our WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Putin’s ‘window of opportunity’ to test NATO is an episode from POLITICO's EU Confidential by POLITICO.

This episode is 15:23 long.

This episode was published on May 4, 2026.

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