ProblemSome European leaders may feel somewhat relieved at the outcome of the Alaska summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on August 15th. The direction of travel the summit indicated does not bode well for European interests. For one thing, the fact remains that neither the Ukrainians nor their European allies were at the table in Anchorage. First, building strong European military forces is essential for projecting strength and credibility in the eyes of authoritarian leaders like Trump and Putin. ContextOn August 15th, Trump warmly received Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson in Anchorage.