It is now three years since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine – and the situation in Europe is described as more dangerous than in a long time.
Earlier in the week, the USA and Russia met on their own about Ukraine, and President Donald Trump has called President Volodomyr Zelenskyj a dictator and insinuated that Ukraine started the war.
Ukraine's Ambassador Andrij Plachotnjuk thinks it's time for Europe to step forward and take the initiative.
Europe must learn to speak the language of power and thereby be able to speak more independently on the world stage, he says at a seminar in the Riksdag.
"Want to see how they act"
Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (M) agrees with the ambassador that Europe needs to take a leadership role.
It is completely obvious that if things start moving faster, Europe must be in the driver's seat, she says.
There have been warnings about a situation where the rule-based world order is put out of play.
Are you worried about a USA that is as threatening to Europe as Russia?
I stand by what I said earlier. The USA has made several controversial statements. I want to see how they act and not just how they express themselves.
Going against Trump?
The Foreign Minister emphasizes that support for Ukraine must continue.
Doesn't that entail a risk of going against Trump, who wants a quick deal?
Absolute not. If we are now heading towards negotiations, then Ukraine should be able to conduct them from a position of strength – they should be able to say no to proposals that do not entail a long-term and sustainable peace for Ukraine, says Maria Malmer Stenergard.
The Social Democrats' Morgan Johansson:
We cannot reduce our support to Ukraine with regard to the USA. It is actually the most important interest we have now, to ensure that we stand up for it. How the USA then acts in relation to it cannot have any decisive significance, he says.
After Trump's outbursts, Johansson thinks the government must be clear.
My experience after sitting in a government for four years when we had Trump as president is that when dealing with such an administration, one must speak clearly, then one cannot go around the hot porridge like a cat.
