Der Spiegel Releases Iconic Cover With Trump And Putin
- 12.12.2025, 11:04
The German magazine urged the EU to come up with its own strategy.
Der Spiegel has unveiled a high-profile cover featuring Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, describing them as "two villains with the same goal." The publication accuses them of pressuring Europe together and destroying transatlantic unity.
The magazine raises the question of why the EU has yet to develop a strategy to counter this increasingly dangerous alliance. The article is published at Der Spiegel.
In its new issue, German weekly magazine Der Spiegel has put US President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin on the cover.
The caption to the illustration sounds like a sentence: "Two villains, one target. How Trump and Putin are attacking Europe."
In the article, journalists argue that the current American president shows disdain for Europe and actually engages in political interaction with the Kremlin, leaving allies without support.
The publication writes that after the release of the new U.S. national security strategy, it became clear that Washington's policy toward Ukraine is not just an unwillingness to finance a war. The document reflects the idea that large and strong states can dictate terms to their neighbors. The 33-page strategy notes: "The excessive influence of large, rich and powerful states is an eternal truth of international relations."
Der Spiegel notes that Europe is still critically dependent on the US - from weapons and intelligence to nuclear deterrence. Against this background, Donald Trump's confidants, according to journalists, are holding secret talks with Russian representatives, agreeing on future cooperation.
The publication believes that the main winner of the current transatlantic split has already been determined - and it is Vladimir Putin. He is getting an opportunity to dialog with Trump on an equal footing, and the tone of the new U.S. strategy increasingly echoes the Kremlin's worldview.
The strategy not only rejects the idea of NATO expansion, but actually repeats narratives close to Russia's geopolitical doctrine.