The split between Europe and the US over how to end the conflict in Ukraine reveals a disorienting new reality: the alliance is in big trouble.

If allied cohesion is needed to make progress in ending the fighting in Ukraine, there appears to be little or no such cohesion at the moment.

This week's flurry of diplomatic talks has done little to bring about a ceasefire, let alone a full peace. It has illustrated the growing tensions and divisions between Europe and the United States.

Meanwhile, the Donald Trump administration continues to stir the pot to end the three-year military conflict as quickly as possible and on the most favorable economic terms for the United States. These terms include resuming relations with Russia and substantial compensation from Ukraine, which is perceived to have been insufficiently grateful for American support.

As a result, the allies, if they still remain such, have gone their separate ways like ships at sea. President Trump is ready to reward Vladimir Putin, while for the Europeans such a situation is categorically unacceptable.

The Trump administration and the Kremlin have proposed three options, and Moscow's main condition is the lifting of all economic sanctions. Such a step is only realistic with a unanimous European decision, but so far we have seen only stiff resistance from Europe.

“In addition to retaliatory trade measures in the form of tariffs on American products, which would be added to those planned in response to the 25 percent duties Washington imposed earlier this month on aluminum and steel, Brussels is considering using its entire arsenal, which also includes the so-called anti-coercion instrument - an economic security weapon that allows closing the European market to certain goods or services and even preventing American companies from bidding for government contracts or participating in projects financed by the EU budget.

The approval of the anti-coercion tool came recently, in the previous legislature, and was driven by lessons learned under the first Trump administration and the threat of a rising China. The option has not yet been discussed in EU Trade Council meetings, the sources said, but it is under consideration and has strong supporters in the EU executive, who argue that it could be “modulated” depending on Washington’s actions.

There are other diplomatic tools the EU is already putting into practice, sources say, such as reaching out to other trading partners and accelerating the push for new trade deals and renegotiating old ones.

However, in some EU executives and capitals, there is great mistrust of a symmetrical response in the form of tariffs. In fact, fear of a major trade war and its consequences has led several countries, such as France, Italy and Ireland, to ask the European Commission to play its cards right and thoroughly review the catalogue of American goods subject to taxation. The first wave of tariffs in response to the aluminum and steel tariffs was supposed to come into force this week, but Brussels postponed the tariffs only to give more time to negotiate with Washington and with the member states with the most affected industries.

The European Commission has pledged not to waver. “We are ready to defend our economic interests and, if necessary, will give a firm, proportionate, credible, measured and timely response to any unfair and counterproductive US measures,” an EU official said on Thursday after Trump signed new 25% tariffs on cars and car parts imported into the US.