We had two covers this week. In Britain and Europe we focused on America’s negotiations with Russia over the future of Ukraine. The past week has been the bleakest in Europe since the fall of the Iron Curtain. Ukraine is being sold out, Russia is being rehabilitated and, under Donald Trump, America can no longer be counted on to come to Europe’s aid in wartime. Last week J.D. Vance, America’s vice-president, ridiculed Europe as decadent and undemocratic. And on February 18th, the continent’s leaders were excluded from peace talks between the White House and the Kremlin. The nightmare that Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, and Mr Trump have conjured up may ultimately force Europe to change how it organises itself. NATO has been the world’s most successful alliance: its disappearance is hard to imagine. But the old things have passed away; all things have become new. Europe needs to face up to that before it is too late.