A Russian drone struck a passenger train on Ukraine's border with Poland Sunday, minutes after a convoy carrying former Western leaders — including ex-CIA Director David Petraeus and former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson — passed through, and EU diplomats responded with the usual brave talk about not being "scared off." The stake for ordinary Americans: Europe's security posture still runs through Washington's checkbook.

The strike came during a massive overnight Russian barrage of more than 450 drones and missiles across Ukraine that killed at least six people and injured over 40, according to The Guardian. Ukraine's state rail operator, Ukrzaliznytsia, said the diplomatic train carrying Johnson, former Swedish PM Carl Bildt, and security advisers from several EU states had deliberately departed the Yahodyn station ahead of schedule — and that the Russian drone likely targeted that train. Another train with Petraeus on board was still at the station when the drone hit. No casualties were reported.

Bildt posted video of the strike on X, confirming the train behind theirs was evacuated as the drone approached. Johnson called it "the kind of random and senseless attack Ukrainians are enduring every day."

EU chief diplomat Kaja Kallas used the moment to signal resolve. "We should show that we are there for Ukraine and we are not scared off, because otherwise Russia will just achieve what it wants, which is the submission of Ukraine," she said, per The Guardian. Her spokesperson referenced the EU's recent approval of a €6.1 billion tranche of a €90 billion loan package for Ukraine. NPR noted the dignitaries had been in Kyiv for the Yalta European Strategy conference — a gathering of political, business, and security elites.

The Guardian framed the strike as a message meant to "intimidate Europeans" and lead with Kallas's defiance. NPR kept it straighter, focusing on the logistics and the near-miss. Neither outlet asked the question that matters on this side of the Atlantic: if Europe is so resolved, why does the continent's defense still hinge on American weapons, American bases, and American taxpayers?

Polish PM Donald Tusk warned that Russian escalation in the coming weeks could spill into Polish territory. The Guardian reported that EU sanctions on over 2,600 Russian individuals and entities are set to expire Tuesday, held up by a dispute over removing one person from the list — a detail NPR didn't mention.

Zelenskyy cast Ukraine's fight as a shield for Europe: "Ukrainians are fighting every day to prevent these strikes from spreading further into Europe, giving their lives and preventing the aggression from expanding." That framing — that Americans should fund a war because it protects Europeans — is exactly the argument that needs scrutiny every time a new spending tranche gets announced.

Brussels can approve €90 billion in loans and dispatch former leaders to Kyiv for photo ops. But until Europe carries its own weight, every bit of tough talk is subsidized by the country that's been paying for the continent's defense for 80 years.