Donald Trump’s recent remarks about the war in Ukraine clearly indicated that the US President is “aligning himself” with Vladimir Putin, former defence committee chairman Tobias Ellwood has said. However, the ex-MP and British military officer says the US President is no match for his “wily” Russian counterpart – and fears he is making a “big strategic mistake” even if his only priority is safeguarding the interests of his own nation.

Trump has triggered alarm among Western allies after appearing ton suggest that Ukraine was to blame for starting the war. He accused President Volodymyr Zelensky of antagonising Moscow and implied the invasion could have been avoided if Kyiv had shown greater willingness to compromise — comments which closely echo Kremlin talking points. Mr Trump has also criticised Ukraine’s suspension of elections under martial law, called Mr Zelensky a “dictator” and cast doubt on the legitimacy of his leadership.

French President Emmanuel Macron and UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer are among those who have defended Mr. Zelensky’s democratic mandate.

Mr Ellwood, who lost his Bournemouth East seat in the July General Election and who is now a Distinguished Fellow at the Atlantic Council, told Express.co.uk: “There’s been a narrative from the very start that we perhaps refuse to entertain, that Trump is aligning himself with our adversary, with President Putin, with a much bigger strategic objective in mind.

“And that’s about a new world order where big beasts rule their immediate surroundings. In the case of Russia, that means controlling Ukraine. In the case of America, it means controlling Canada, Panama and Greenland, and that is, is the new realpolitik.”

Mr Ellwood continued: “The biggest shocker of a line, for me is Trump saying that ‘you don’t start a war against somebody 20 times your size. The misinterpretation here is failing to realise that it was Russia that invaded Ukraine in the first place.

“So what Trump is doing is rewriting history in the very way that Putin chooses to do, and that is dangerous for Britain.”

The USA was “dialling back from its interests in Europe” just as Russia was doing the opposite, Mr Ellwood pointed out.

He warned: “Very sadly, we cannot trust our closest secure security ally to watch our backs anymore. I think there’s an absolute determination to ignore America’s traditional role as leading the West.

“And that means doing deals with your major adversaries, including China and Russia, if it serves America’s interests. Countries like Ukraine have played no role here – all he sees is Ukraine costing America a lot of money, and he doesn’t see any votes in it either.

“It goes against the very philosophy of America has adopted since the end of the Second World War, of having a duty and responsibility to support global order.”

Mr Trump’s apparent strategy was fundamentally flawed in any case, Mr Ellwood claimed.

He said: “Putin is a wily operator and has been playing this game a lot longer than than Trump. And if Trump thinks that somehow the all-powerful America is going to persuade Russia, who now has China watching its back, then he’s he’s sorely mistaken.

“And perhaps this is the biggest strategic mistake that he’s making by alienating Europe, then it actually makes it harder for America to contest the geopolitical challenges of the future, because every fewer nations will want to align with him.

“So these are very dangerous times indeed, but it’s Britain and Europe, Britain and the rest of Europe picking up the pieces, and we need to do that.”

European allies were facing the “ultimate question”, namely whether to allow Russia to win in Ukraine, Mr Ellwood emphasised.

He said: “Should we appease the aggressor? And in the case of Putin, that is emulating his hero, Stalin, and we saw where this went after World War 2 or WW2. So there are huge dangers ahead.

“All this would be clearly a lot easier with America on side, but, but America cannot be trusted. And it’s very clear that that Trump’s mission in trying to bring in Putin from the cold by rewriting history.”

With specific reference to Mr Trump’s description of the missile strike which killed 34 people in Sumy as a “mistake”, Mr Ellwood stressed that it was no such thing.

He said: “This is the other concern which seems to breeze Trump by, how Putin is targeting the civilian population, the civilian infrastructure. These are all breach of international rules of armed conflict, Geneva Conventions.

“All the support from Trump will simply give Putin greater confidence to continue this approach in attacking the Ukrainian people.”