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Europe scrambles in Paris as Trump's Putin talks sideline NATO allies Our Privacy Statement & Cookie Policy By continuing to browse our site you agree to our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. You can change your cookie settings through your browser. Sarah Coates in Paris Copied On Monday, European leaders attended a hastily-arranged emergency meeting in Paris, after being excluded from an upcoming summit on Ukraine in Riyadh between officials from the United States and Russia. Just last week, it emerged that the U.S. President Donald Trump had a long conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with the U.S. then saying that negotiations to stop the "ridiculous war" in Ukraine would begin "immediately" – and while Trump informed Ukrainian President Zelenskyy of his plan, he too says he hasn't been invited to join Tuesday's high-level talks in Saudi Arabia. That phone call between Trump and Putin blindsided NATO allies, with leaders from France, Germany, Britain, Poland, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Denmark, along with heads of the European Council, NATO's Secretary General and the head of European Commission, holding closed-door crisis talk…

Why the U.S. Security Stance Is Worse than a Dormant NATO Source: Getty Russia’s recent violations of NATO airspace have further exposed the security gap between transatlantic allies. The imperative for Europeans to build credible deterrence by bolstering their military posture as well as their financial and industrial efforts has never been more urgent. With the return of U.S. President Donald Trump to the White House, Europeans worried about a dormant NATO or worse, a U.S. withdrawal from the alliance. There is a case to be made that the current situation is even worse than these doomsday scenarios. Trump and his team said enough of the right things to allow many European leaders to lull themselves back into complacency. But a factual detached assessment of the U.S. administration’s actions since January paints a picture that should be keeping European security and defense officials up at night. Russia crossed a new threshold over the past two weeks with its drone and fighter jets incursions intoPolishandEstonianNATO airspace. These overt military violations have suspiciously coincided with severe simultaneousdisruptions at major European airports. NATO’s response wasn’t jus…

JD Vance Slams Europe Over Censorship, "Unvetted" Migration Founded by Stefano Vaccara Editor in Chief: Giampaolo Pioli america Oggi1988 The First Italian English Digital Daily in the US English Editor: Grace Russo Bullaro U.S. Special Envoy for Russia and Ukraine Keith Kellogg, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio attend a bilateral meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy (not pictured), on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference (MSC), in Munich, Germany February 14, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis Free speech in Europe is at risk. That was the stark warning delivered by U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Friday during his speech at the Munich Security Conference, where he called on European nations to increase military spending, crack down on “unvetted” immigration, and safeguard freedom of expression. In a later face-to-face meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky, Vance also sought to reassure the Ukrainian President that the White House remains committed to pursuing a “lasting peace” for the war-torn country. In a 20-minute address, Donald Trump’s right-hand man came across as unflinching—at times even combative—as he criticized Brussels and…

The Future of NATO Under Trump: Declining U.S. Influence, European ... Posted in Conflict Geopolitics National Security April 2, 2025 The U.S. President Donald Trump’s skepticism toward NATO and opposition to Ukraine’s membership in the alliance have raised concerns about the long-term viability of transatlantic security cooperation . His stance weakens U.S. influence in European security matters and compels European allies to reassess their defense strategies, including the potential creation of an independent military-political bloc led by France, Germany, the UK, and Italy. T rump has consistently criticized NATO, calling it obsolete and questioning the financial contributions of member states. His resistance to Ukraine’s NATO membership aligns with his broader skepticism toward U.S. security commitments in Europe. The key aspects of his stance include: Opposition to Further NATO Enlargement: Trump views NATO expansion as a provocation toward Russia and a burden on U.S. defense resources. Transactional Approach to Alliances: He emphasizes a cost-benefit analysis, urging European allies to increase their military spending. Reduced U.S. Leadership in NATO: Trump’s reluctance to s…

Making defence European again Illustration by Chris Eichberger Download PDF Listen Pause Stop Share LinkedIn Bluesky Tweet Instagram WhatsApp Summary Between an expansionist Russia and a careless America, one thing is clear: Europeans must be prepared to defend themselves, and quickly. To do so, they need to adopt a distinctly European way of defence. They cannot hope to replicate America’s security approach, nor do they need a new institutional superstructure. Rather, they need to be pragmatic and resourceful by building on what exists. A European way of defence has three pillars. First, a layered decision-making architecture would draw on NATO’s command structure for military operations; on the EU for funding and pan-European solidarity; and on minilateral arrangements for fast adaptability. Second, Europeans would build up their military capabilities, capacity and readiness to deter and defend effectively with little to no American help. Third, all of this must rest on a coordinated European defence industry wherever possible and draw on capabilities from diversified, allied sources if needed. This model would set Europeans up to defend themselves with America where possible, w…

At the NATO Summit, Europe Faces an Accelerating U.S. Decoupling Council on Foreign Relations Share By experts and staff Published June 30, 2026 9:50 a.m. Liana Fix CFR Expert Senior Fellow for Europe Anna Terkhorn Intern Share Liana Fix is a leading authority on European security and transatlantic relations, and author of the forthcoming book Germany Rearmed: The Return of War and the End of Illusions. Anna Terkhorn is an intern with the Council on Foreign Relation’ Europe program. European allies thought the July 7-8 summit in Ankara, Turkey, was going to be about the achievements they have made since last year’s gathering at The Hague—a “scorecard” on how far European NATO allies have come in raising defense spending. The result would have looked respectable. Not only have European allies reached their targets of spending 2 percent of their GDPs on defense, they have made real progress toward the new goal of 3.5 percent (+1.5 percent on related infrastructure spending) by 2035. Through the European Commission’s ReArm Europe initiative [PDF] and SAFE defense loans, European Union (EU) member states have greater fiscal flexibility to reach these goals. Germany, Poland, and the B…

Three strategic dilemmas facing Europe in the ongoing US-Russia ... 20 February, 2026 SCEEUS Commentary No. 3, 2026 Since the start of the second administration of US President Donald J. Trump in January 2025, Kyiv and its partners within the Coalition of the Willing have found themselves in increasingly stormy geopolitical waters. The actions of Trump and his administration vis-à-vis not only Ukraine, but also other countries around the world – including close allies in NATO – have created a challenging and multilayered transatlantic playing field. Under these novel conditions, implementation of the long-term foreign policy agendas of Ukraine’s partners and prudent everyday diplomacy means tough choices between competing political values, ambivalent strategic decisions and fluctuating tactical approaches. As tensions between the United States and its European allies concerning the western response to the Russo-Ukrainian War increase, European policymakers face three dilemmas. On the one hand, despite its accommodating position towards Russia’s antagonistic and aggressive behaviour, the United States has to be kept on board the western coalition supporting Ukraine. Thus, Europe…

How NATO's Post-WWII Defense Spending Can Inform Asia's ... President Donald Trump and Defesne Secretary Pete Hegseth participate in a press conference, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, during the 2025 NATO Summit at the World Forum in The Hague, Netherlands. In 2025, theU.S. urged key Asian allies, including South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, to significantly increase their defense budgets to 5 percent of GDP. This request mirrors a historical parallel to the 1950s, when the U.S. pressured NATO countries to raise defense spending in response to Soviet threats. Today, the geopolitical landscape is similarly shaped by the rise of China and the ongoing North Korean challenge, creating comparable strategic imperatives for U.S. allies in Asia. Drawing from NATO’s early Cold War defense strategy, this article explores the lessons from NATO’s post-WWII experience and offers specific policy recommendations for South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan as they navigate contemporary defense spending debates in the context of shifting global security dynamics. NATO’s Defense Spending After WWII: A Post-War Strategic Shift The aftermath of World War II left Europe economically and militarily devastated. The …

Can the Alternative for Germany save NATO? - Asia Times “We are at an existential milestone for our freedom and security,” declared German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who demanded European involvement in the Ukraine peace talks initiated this week by Presidents Trump and Putin. Better said, it is an existential moment for Baerbock’s Green Party, the most aggressive war hawks on the European political spectrum. Despite the Greens’ enthusiasm for the Ukraine War, only 9% of its members told German pollsters that they would fight to defend their country. Europe’s war hawks don’t want to pay and don’t want to fight. Their sense of entitlement derives from their status as clients of the Washington foreign and security policy establishment, which paid billions of dollars a year through USAID, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and prominent private foundations to keep complaisant Europeans on the payroll. “Brutally hard Americans shock Europe,” reads the headline in today’s “Berlin Playbook” newsletter by the German Springer Verlag-owned Politico, the recipient of $8 million a year in US government subsidies, according to a White House spokesperson . The shock goes far …

How the war in Iran has brought European countries closer together ... Jeanne Accorsini/AP, The Conversation The United States under President Donald Trump and the European Union have a complicated relationship. On one hand, European countries and the US have built some of the strongest alliances since the end of the second world war. On the other, since the start of Trump’s second term in 2025, they have openly clashed on significant issues: tariffs, NATO contributions, Palestinian statehood, Israel’s interventionism, Ukraine support levels and Greenland’s sovereignty. Trump’s sudden war on Iran is the latest of these clashes, but it is distinctive because it is shaking the world’s economy. The US war on Iran, alongside Israel’s war on Lebanon , is accelerating a notable reshaping of European alliances and strategic thinking about the union’s future. The EU has more than 450 million inhabitants, and its GDP is nearly on par with that of the US or China. Despite its polymorphic nature, and in fact perhaps because of it, it is a world player that can exercise considerable sway over international affairs. European leaders are now attempting to drive a lasting ceasefire, and perhaps…

Taking the Pulse: Is the Transatlantic Relationship at a Breaking Point ... Source: Getty Trump’s overtures to Putin and his administration’s sharp rebukes of Europe have sent shock waves through the continent. Can the transatlantic alliance be salvaged—and can Europeans take charge of their own security as the United States pulls back? Director of the Geopolitics and Security Studies Center, Vilnius On one hand, there is no real alternative to the U.S. security guarantee. Declaring that the transatlantic relationship has collapsed would be like stepping off a ship in the middle of the ocean with no other vessel in sight. This means Europe must swallow the Trump administration’s criticism and do everything possible to keep the relationship intact. There are some signs it may not completely fall apart, including U.S. President Donald Trump’s assurances that he does not intend to withdraw all U.S. troops from Europe. On the other hand, European countries must start building real military strength. As early as 1963, former U.S. president John F. Kennedy urged Europeans to take greater responsibility for their own defense. The same message has been repeated for decades, yet Europ…

A stunned Europe gathers to respond after Trump increases pressure over ... A woman waves a Greenlandic flag as people attend a protest against US President Donald Trump's demand to annex the Arctic island in Nuuk on January 17, 2026. Marko Djurica/Reuters Donald Trump NATO European Union See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Threads Link Copied! Follow It’s not often that Europe speaks with one voice – or responds with such urgency. But US President Donald Trump’s announcement Saturday of sanctions against several European countries that reject any US claim to Greenland, a Danish territory, was one of those moments. EU ambassadors held an emergency meeting in Brussels on Sunday in response to Trump’s threat, which he made after an estimated quarter of the population of Greenland’s capital Nuuk joined protests against any potential annexation. Across the continent, among allies that usually tread carefully in responding to utterances from the White House, the response was immediate and emphatic, and recognized an existential threat to the transatlantic alliance. The US President fired back late Sunday repeating his claim Denmark had failed to counter Moscow’s maneuvering around…

NATO: Trump lashes out at European allies for rejecting his ... - CNN US President Donald Trump meets with Taoiseach of Ireland Micheál Martin in the White House on March 17, 2026. Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump The Middle East NATO See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Threads Link Copied! Follow Donald Trump’s brief and aggressive attempt to corral an international coalition to police the Strait of Hormuz concluded in disappointment on Tuesday, leading the president to lash out at European nations that rejected his demands to help with his war against Iran . “We don’t need too much help,” a frustrated Trump said in the Oval Office, where he was hosting Ireland’s taoiseach for St. Patrick’s Day. “We don’t need any help actually.” It was a striking turnabout for the president, who had spent the last several days ardently insisting other countries send their warships to the strait to escort oil tankers. Iran has effectively shut the waterway, a key shipping lane for about 20% of the world’s oil, sending global energy prices soaring . Trump had framed his demands as a test of loyalty, suggesting dispatching naval vessels would amount to a “very small endeavor” for count…

'NATO 3.0': Defense spending pledges face the Trump test - CNBC NATO faces a crucial test of its credibility and future viability this week as leaders meet in Turkey, with new European defense spending targets under unprecedented scrutiny from the White House. This week's summit, beginning Tuesday, will examine whether Europe canturn bigger budgets into military powerfast enough to keep President Donald Trump engaged, while preparing for a future in which Washington plays a smaller role in the continent's security. Last year's summit at The Hague was seen as abreakthroughafter allies committed to spending 5% of GDP on defense by 2035, including 3.5% on core defense requirements and 1.5% on broader security needs. But this year's summit in Ankara is expected to move the debate from pledges to implementation. This includes questions about procurement, industrial capacity, support for Ukraine and the political architecture of what the Trump administration has called "NATO 3.0." "This is really the NATO summit where NATO goes from burden sharing to burden shifting," Ulrike Franke, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told CNBC. The summit also comes …

Europe Is at Donald Trump's Mercy. It Has Itself to Blame. | The Nation October 28, 2025 Europe Is at Donald Trump’s Mercy. It Has Itself to Blame. The European Union has failed to mount an alternative to Donald Trump. On defense, geopolitical alignment, and trade policy, it is ever more subservient to the United States. Harrison Stetler Share Copy Link Facebook X (Twitter) Bluesky Pocket Email Donald Trump and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky speak during a Bilateral Lunch in the Cabinet Room at the White House on Friday, October 17, 2025. (Demetrius Freeman / Getty Images) How much more can Europe give to appease Trump? Despite months of concessions on everything from trade to defense and tech regulations, ties between the United States and its traditional allies remain as unstable as ever. In mid-October, they appeared to be taking another turn for the worse when the White House announced that the US president would hold a new round of in-person talks with Vladimir Putin, this time under the auspices of Hungarian strongman Victor Orbán. The Budapest summit was quickly canceled, and Washington moved to impose sanctions on major Russian energy companies. Yet, once again, B…

Trump Wants NATO Allies to Step Up-Can France Lead the Way Allies & Extended Deterrence , Archive , Strategic Adversaries Trump Wants NATO Allies to Step Up-Can France Lead the Way Stephen Cimbala 6 days ago 6 days ago 0 Comments 5 Mins Read Published: June 9, 2026 President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized U.S. European allies for their alleged failure to assume a larger share of the responsibility for NATO deterrence and defense. Although most U.S. angst about European burden sharing concerns preparedness for a larger conventional war on the continent, the sharing of risk with respect to nuclear escalation has received less attention. Past practice suggested that the American nuclear umbrella would suffice to deter Russian threats of nuclear escalation. On the other hand, Europe’s indigenous nuclear forces may have the potential to serve as a sufficient deterrent against Russian nuclear first use. French “Forwardism” In March 2026, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a doctrine of “forward deterrence” regarding the future of French nuclear declaratory and employment policy. His statements amounted to the most important shift in French nuclear posture in decades. The…

Stop bargaining with Europe, start leaving - Defense Priorities Key Points The Trump administration’s harsh rhetoric toward NATO allies obscures that the U.S. defense posture in Europe remains mostly unchanged. Rather than reducing the U.S. presence, Trump has leveraged it to bargain for heavier European defense spending. Europeans last year pledged to spend 5 percent of GDP on defense and related infrastructure. In return, the United States is keeping its current forces in Europe and remains committed to European defense for the foreseeable future. This is a bad deal for Americans, not only because the European pledges are not worth much, but because heavier European defense spending, even if it occurs, does little on its own to benefit the United States. Because the Russian threat to Europe beyond Ukraine is limited, the United States need not worry that reducing its force posture will leave European allies dangerously exposed. Ironically, keeping so many U.S. troops in Europe undermines the incentive for European states to do more on defense, which means not just meeting spending pledges but reducing their dependence on the United States for military operations. Rather than try…

NATO Chief Appeals for Unity as Europe Builds Its Armies and the US ... Like Follow Followed Add us on Vanessa Gera, Lorne Cook Published Mar 26, 2025, 6:46 PM EDT Sign in to your Military.com account NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks to the media during a joint news conference with the members of the Bosnian Presidency in Sarajevo, Bosnia, Monday, March 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Armin Durgut) Originally published by Associated Press WARSAW, Poland — NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte appealed for unity on Wednesday as European nations scale up their armed forces and defense industries after the United States warned that Europe must take care of its own security in future. Trust between the 32 member countries is at a new low. NATO was formed 76 years ago to provide stability in Europe; a guarantee underwritten by the United States. But the Trump administration says America’s security priorities now lie in Asia and on its own borders. “Let me be absolutely clear, this is not the time to go it alone. Not for Europe or North America,” Rutte said in a speech in Warsaw. “The global security challenges are too great for any of us to face on our own.” Rutte said that “there is no altern…

Donald Trump Is Breaking Up with Europe | The New Yorker Save this story Save this story Save this story Save this story A decade into the Trump era, there are a few rules that should, by now, be common sense for navigating the chaos. One of them, of course, is not to assume that America’s most fact-challenged President is telling the truth. The war in Iran “has been won,” he said on Tuesday, while at the same time deploying thousands of U.S. troops to the Middle East, presumably to be available in case the war needs winning again. (If only his constant declarations of victory really meant that the conflict was over.) Another is to pay close attention to the things that he is fulminating about late at night or early in the morning. Donald Trump’s posts—in all their voluminous, all-caps fervor—represent as close as it gets to the pure id of an American President. Sleepless Trump is the true Trump. He may not always act on his rants, but they are more than simply a catalogue of what pisses him off. Think of them as a guide to what he would do if he could just do whatever he wanted. This is why America’s friends in Europe—and elsewhere, too, for that matter—ought to take note of what…

The Strain Between the U.S. and NATO and Europe—and What It Means “The European members of NATO make up the third wealthiest economic block on the planet, and yet they are incapable of wielding military forces on their own that could defend their own continent against Russia,” says Jeff Taliaferro. Here, NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. Photo: Shutterstock Global Affairs The Strain Between the U.S. and NATO and Europe—and What It Means Europe isn’t prepared to defend itself, and trust between it and the U.S. is at an all-time low, says expert The latest episode in the ongoing deterioration of relations between the United States and Europe came a few weeks ago, with U.S. threats to take over Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. Denmark’s prime minister said “Europe won’t be blackmailed” by tariff threats over Greenland. Denmark has been a member of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, since its inception. Other European NATO countries decried the U.S. move, and reports of the impending death of the U.S.-European alliance have been in the news. NATO was formed in the wake of World War II, as the Cold War was beginning and European coun…

Home alone: Europeans are ready to defend themselves Illustration by Chris Eichberger Download PDF Listen Pause Stop Share LinkedIn Bluesky Tweet Instagram WhatsApp Summary Amid geopolitical turmoil, Europeans are taking nuanced and realistic positions that demand tough choices from their leaders. A major new ECFR poll shows Europeans embrace self-reliance and are clear-eyed about Donald Trump—but do not expect a permanent break from the US. They back Ukraine—but are anxious about bringing it into the European Union now or sending troops there. They know they face an energy crisis—but remain solidly opposed to Russian fossil-fuel imports. Leaders therefore have the public’s backing to pursue strategic autonomy without posturing, to seek out new mechanisms for supporting Ukraine, and to push ahead on energy sovereignty. The art of the possible Like little Kevin in the classic comedy film, European citizens have woken up to an uncomfortable truth: they have been left Home Alone. Not by their parents and siblings, but by an America on whom many thought they could depend. Left to fend for himself, Kevin has to be starkly realist and challenge some old assumptions. He booby-traps the h…

Trump Is Learning That His Bullying Has Consequences Listen − 1.0 x + Seek 0:00 7:04 Sign up for our newsletter about national security here . T wo months ago , when President Trump was threatening to annex Greenland, I spoke with Danish and other European officials who warned of lasting damage to the system of alliances that the United States created after the Second World War, above all NATO. At the time, this seemed like a theoretical proposition. Denmark and other allies had come to the aid of the United States after the September 11 attacks, sending soldiers to fight in the American-led war in Afghanistan; these same countries, officials and experts hypothesized, might be less inclined to help in the future. But the possibility that the United States would actually require European assistance, especially in the Middle East, appeared faint. After all, Trump had promised to curtail military adventures, in order to refocus on American interests in the Western Hemisphere. The decision to wage war against Iran changed all that. Despite his earlier claims that the American military had already vanquished Iran and didn’t need partners to join the fight, Trump is now actively solicit…

Europe-US relations at their 'lowest moment': former European ... - CNBC Europe and U.S. relations are facing their "lowest moment" sinceNATOcame into being, former European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said, as Washington's disruptive approach to diplomacy forces allies to reexamine the transatlantic relationship. "There are some doubts about the relationship with the United States," Barroso, also former prime minister of Portugal, said in an interview with CNBC's"The China Connection"on Monday, pointing to a loss of trust that extends beyond the European Union to include the U.K. U.S. PresidentDonald Trump'saim to acquire Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, including threats of possible military action and higher tariffs on European nations, has shaken confidence in the U.S. among European leaders and the public. The relationship between Europe and the U.S. has become increasingly driven by interests, shifting away from the traditional model of being based on shared "democratic values," Barroso said, describing the moment as a "rupture phase" in which it remains unclear "where we are going from now." While Trump pulled back from a maximalist positi…

Europe Rethinks American Ties as Trump Rages - Foreign Policy Argument An expert’s point of view on a current event. Europe Is Slowly Getting Ready to Ditch America Trump’s bad bargains have shaken a complacent continent. By Luke McGee , an Emmy Award-winning journalist covering European diplomacy. A Swiss political poster depicts US President Donald Trump, with the French slogan "Isolating ourselves from Europe? Certainly not now!" in Lausanne, on May 25. A Swiss political poster depicts US President Donald Trump, with the French slogan "Isolating ourselves from Europe? Certainly not now!" in Lausanne, on May 25. Get audio access with any FP subscription. Subscribe Now ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER? LOGIN May 25, 2026, 7:00 AM Welcome to FP Free Week. To celebrate America’s 250th birthday, our entire site is completely unlocked this week only. Enjoy the article. In the aftermath of Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential election victory, the United States’ European allies were initially ready to bend to Trump’s will and accept his unique style of global leadership. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer rushed to the White House, where he offered Trump an unprecedented second state visit on be…

Trump Lashes Out at NATO as Rift Widens Ahead of Summit - TIME President Donald Trump said it is “ridiculous” for the United States to maintain its current level of support for NATO “when the relationship is not reciprocal." Referring to the alliance as a " one-sided path ” late Thursday, Trump doubled down on his long-argued criticism of allied nations’ defense spending ahead of next week’s planned NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. Alongside his Truth Social remarks, Trump posted a chart displaying contributions from NATO members, showing the U.S. vastly outspending its allies. The President had earlier complained that the U.S. “spends more money on NATO than any other country, by far, to protect them, without getting any benefit.” Seemingly citing figures from NATO’s defence expenditure data in 2025, he compared the “$999 billion” spent by the U.S. to the “$44.3 billion” put forward by Poland. [NATO's 2025 estimate for U.S. spending is $980 billion.] “Others, including Germany, are much lower,” Trump insisted. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Friday defended his country’s contributions. "Germany is ​doubling its defense budget within four years. This is the greatest ⁠effort we h…

He pushed back, gently, on Trump’s complaints that NATO did not support the U.S. against Iran, noting that up to 5,000 U.S. planes took off from bases in Europe before an April ceasefire. Trump has threatened to pull forces from Europe at a moment of peril apnews.com/article/nato...

How Europe Lost: Can the Continent Escape Its Trump Trap? How Europe Lost Can the Continent Escape Its Trump Trap? Matthias Matthijs and Nathalie Tocci January/February 2026 Published on December 12, 2025 European leaders with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, August 2025 Alexander Drago / Reuters MATTHIAS MATTHIJS is Dean Acheson Associate Professor of International Political Economy at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies and Senior Fellow for Europe at the Council on Foreign Relations. NATHALIE TOCCI is James Anderson Professor of the Practice at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies in Bologna and Director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali in Rome. More by Matthias Matthijs More by Nathalie Tocci Listen Subscribe to unlock this feature or Sign in . Share & Download Print Subscribe to unlock this feature or Sign in . Save Sign in and save to read later Close Share How Europe Lost Can the Continent Escape Its Trump Trap? Matthias Matthijs and Nathalie Tocci Jan/Feb 2026 Share in email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Copy Link Copied Article link: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-st…

Beyond the NATO summit, key questions remain for European security Commentary June 26, 2025 The dreaded 2025 NATO summit has now passed: President Donald Trump questioned thevalidityof Article 5 and made apublic displayof a fulsome text message sent to him by Mark Rutte, the NATO secretary general, praising his ability to convince NATO member states to spend 5% of their GDP on defense. Obsessed to the point of being blinkered with Trump management and the risk of a blowup of the summit, European leaders missed an opportunity to come up with a real plan to ensure sustainable support to Ukraine in the mid to long run and build up and expand their own military capabilities. They can now focus on these two goals. The first goal requires financial and material commitments. The European Union (EU) and its member states have already come up with substantial figures to support Ukraine. Europe nowspends morethan the United States on both financial and military support, amounting to almost 150 billion euros (about $175.8 billion) spent since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, including 50.8 billion euros ($59.5 billion) in military assistance. European member states haverec…

From Burden-Sharing to Burden-Shifting? Europe at Pains to Adapt to The ... Europe faces thorny dilemmas in the field of defence and struggles to find common responses. It is imperative not only to keep the US engaged in Europe but also to prepare for a possible abandonment by the biggest ally. The two goals are not easy to reconcile. The Nordic-Baltic countries and Poland have been the strongest proponents ofpragmatic engagement, seeing their own strong defence spending as a critical factor in maintaining the US commitment to their security. Their leaders have been reluctant to talk about loss of confidence in the transatlantic relationship, at least in public. But the limits of pragmatic engagement have been repeatedly exposed by President Trump’s positions, be it on Greenland, Ukraine, or tariffs, just to give some examples. Preparing for the Inevitable? At the same time, Europe is preparing for an eventual US withdrawal. As reported byTheFinancial Times, France, Germany, the UK, and Nordic countries are working on a plan toreplace most US capabilitiesover the course of five to ten years. If successful, this burden-shifting might help to avoid a sudden withdrawal of the US a…

NATO's Rutte says Europe can't defend itself without US; France balks PARIS — Europeans are “dreaming” if they think the continent can defend itself without the United States, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in a meeting with members of the European Parliament on Monday, citing the costs of going it alone and the need to build up a nuclear capability. “If anyone thinks here that the European Union or Europe as a whole can defend itself without the U.S., keep on dreaming,” Rutte said. “You can’t. We can’t. We need each other.” Rutte’s remarks come as Europe questions whether the U.S. is still a reliable ally following tariff threats by President Donald Trump against NATO allies over Greenland and a national defense strategy prioritizing homeland defense and the Western Hemisphere. Last year’s U.S. National Security Strategy called on Europe to take primary responsibility for its own defense. The NATO chief prompted pushback from France, the European Union’s only nuclear power, with Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot saying Europeans need to take their own security in hand through a European pillar within NATO. Several security policy analysts said Europe has no choice, becaus…

London:There seemed no chance of a happy outcome when Donald Trump arrived at a security summit with European leaders in the Turkish capital, Ankara, a few days ago. And the awkward gathering for a “family photo” at the NATO summit only reminded everyone of the tensions between the US president and most of the other leaders on the podium. But something startling happened by the time Trump was ready to fly home. There was a rare outbreak of unity and a significant decision on how to defend Ukraine. The summit ended with something that looks like success. Yes, the American president griped about the Europeans whenever he had the chance. He walked past Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni without a glance at the group photo. He complained again that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer would not back the war on Iran. He reminded everyone that he still wanted control of Greenland. The complaints evaporated at the very end of Trump’s closing press conference on Wednesday in Ankara, or about 3am on Thursday, AEST. “I can only say that if there’s one word that comes out of today, it’s unification,” he said of the conclusion of the summit. “I’ve never seen anything like it. They love…

Look what you made us do: How to realise a European-led NATO Members of 5 Canadian Mechanised Brigade Group Headquarters brief Danish Major General Jette Albinus, Commander of Multinational Division North, during the Level 7 Integration Exercise, Latvia, 2024 Image by Master Corporal Braden Trudeau © Listen Pause Stop Print Share LinkedIn Bluesky Tweet Instagram WhatsApp Over summer 2025, European leaders hustled from one summit to the next, with plenty of informal consultations in between. Maybe then it dawned on them that their actions leading up to 2029—the year of NATO’s 80th anniversary—might well decide whether the alliance sees through the 2030s in peace and strength. During US secretary of defence Pete Hegseth’s latest appearance at the NATO headquarters in mid-October, he shared two insights about what deters Russian aggression. “Number one”, he said, “a lethal, capable and European-led NATO. Number two: a combat-credible Ukrainian military”. Whereas the Trump administration’s position on Ukraine continues to oscillate, taking yet another turn after the latest phone call between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, the president is attempting to unburden the US from leadershi…

The End of an Era: What the US Retreat from European Security Means for ... The End of an Era: What the US Retreat from European Security Means for the World by Transatlantic Task Force | Feb 17, 2025 | Commentary , Geopolitics & Great Power Politics Home > Commentary > The End of an Era: What the US Retreat from European Security Means for the World Key Takeaways The US is stepping back from European security: For the first time in decades, Washington has signaled that Europe must assume primary responsibility for its own defense, reshaping NATO and altering the continent’s security dynamics. China is now the top US strategic priority: The Trump administration views China—not Russia—as America’s primary geopolitical rival, redirecting military and economic focus toward the Indo-Pacific while reducing commitments in Europe. Ukraine faces an uncertain future: With US military support decreasing and NATO membership ruled out, Ukraine must now rely on European allies to sustain its war effort against Russia. European nations must rapidly increase defense spending: The US is demanding that NATO members double their military budgets, raising the target from 2% to 5% of GDP, marking a m…

A stronger Europe in NATO—the way forward - Atlantic Council Go to the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences to read the full report by the Atlantic Council’s Northern Europe Office in collaboration with the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs Read the full report The transatlantic environment is changing rapidly. The question is no longer whether Europe needs to take on greater responsibility in NATO, but how this can be done without weakening NATO’s deterrence and defense capabilities or its political cohesion. The transition is urgent. Europe has a limited time to step up while the US still has a substantial military presence in Europe and Russia is preoccupied with the war in Ukraine. Europe must prepare for a situation where American support may be delayed, more limited, and less predictable. A stronger Europe in NATO therefore requires war-ready units, higher readiness, better mobilization capabilities, integrated multinational formations, stronger command structures and a clearer defense industrial base. On April 21, 2026, the Atlantic Council’s Northern Europe Office and Sweden’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs jointly hosted a workshop at the Government Offices in Stockholm…

Trump heads to NATO summit amid feud with allies - KOCO 5 News Trump heads to NATO summit amid feud with allies President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO and floated leaving the defense alliance. Trump heads to NATO summit amid feud with allies President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO and floated leaving the defense alliance. Updated: 7:31 PM CDT Jul 6, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Jackie DeFusco Washington Correspondent Advertisement Trump heads to NATO summit amid feud with allies President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO and floated leaving the defense alliance. Updated: 7:31 PM CDT Jul 6, 2026 Editorial Standards ⓘ Jackie DeFusco Washington Correspondent President Donald Trump is expected to leave Monday night for a NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, at a complicated moment for the alliance. Trump has repeatedly criticized NATO and even floated leaving the alliance altogether, which would require an act of Congress. "Ridiculous for the U.S.A. to continue along this one sided path when the relationship is not reciprocal," Trump wrote in a social media post last Thursday. The post-World War II pact includes 32 member countries that have vowed to de…

Defending Europe with less America Soldiers of the Eurocorps hold the European flag during a ceremony in front of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, June 30, 2014 Image by picture alliance / REUTERS | JEAN-MARC LOOS © Download PDF Listen Pause Stop Share LinkedIn Bluesky Tweet Instagram WhatsApp Full text also available in Español Summary available in Français Български – Bulgarian Summary Russia’s war on Ukraine has revealed the sorry state of European militaries and defence industries after decades of peace dividends, as well as their deep reliance on the US. A second Trump presidency could drastically reduce US defence support for Europe. But regardless of the outcome of the US presidential election, the degradation of the European security environment and the shifting priorities of the US mean that Europe needs to be prepared to take more responsibility for its own defence. Europeans require a sustained plan over the next decade that combines immediate efforts to support Ukraine and rebuild readiness, and longer-term goals to develop a “full force package”, including the combat support capabilities and key enablers that are currently provided primarily by the US. Paradoxic…

How Europe Must Respond to Trump's Economic War. For a European ... Shahin Vallée, David Amiel Shahin Vallée, David Amiel 28/03/2025 Shahin Vallée, David Amiel 28/03/2025 Faced with a trade war and imperial temptations, Europe has the means to lead the resistance and deter the Trump administration. With Donald Trump back in the White House, Europe is facing an existential crisis. The American president’s actions and thechange of era symbolised by J. D. Vance’s speech at the Munich Security Conferencecall for a collective awakening — for Ukraine, for the European security architecture, but also,  and this is the focus of this article —for its economic policy. There is a real risk that the American offensive in this area will lead to an ‘economic Munich’ in the coming months: a capitulation to the United States that would ensure division, dishonour and defeat for the continent. Strategically, Europe has long based its security and defence architecture almost entirely on the US. Donald Trump’s threats regarding NATO funding,the prospect of a peace agreement with Russia signed on the back of Ukraine, andhis interest in Greenlandhave elicited far too few reactions from Europe…

The NATO Ankara Summit: “NATO 3.0” in Practice - CSIS Photo: Evgenia/Adobe Stock Commentary byJonathan Burchell Published June 9, 2026 When NATO was founded, its first secretary general, Lord Ismay, famouslyremarkedthat the alliance existed “to keep the Russians out, the Americans in, and the Germans down.” That statement reflected early Cold War realities, but that worldno longer exists. The need for a clear political bargain at NATO’s core, however, remains. Allies will gather in Ankara, Turkey, this July at a critical moment. NATO faces awarin Europe, renewedinstabilityin the Middle East, and growing internaltensionover priorities, burdens, and risk. NATO has endured disputes before, but a lack of unity—if left unmanaged—can weaken deterrence as effectively as military shortfalls. As Wallace Thiessuggests, crisis begins when members become indifferent to sustaining the alliance. By that definition, NATO is under strain—but not yet in crisis—despitereportingthat the United States will reassess the value of NATO after its war with Iran. In a more contested international order, thebenefitsto the United States of remaining in NATO continue to outweigh the …

Remarks by NATO Secretary General at World Economic Forum, Davos Create an account Reset password Already have an account?Log in From now on you can download videos from our website If you would also like to subscribe to the newsletter and receive our latest updates, click on the button below. Enter the email address you registered with and we will send you a code to reset your password. The password must be at least12 characters long, no spaces, include upper/lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Click the button to return to the page you were on and log in with your new password. 21 January 2026 13 MIN READ © 2026 World Economic Forum. Copyright: World Economic Forum/Valeriano Di Domenico Sarah Kelly, Moderator Hello and a very warm welcome to this special edition of Deutsche Welle’s Conflict Zone from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. I'm Sarah Kelly. We're here with the NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, the President of Poland Karol Nawrocki, President of Finland Alexander Stubb, the President of the European Investment Bank Nadia Calviño, and the CEO of Sanofi, Paul Hudson. Welcome to all of you, and thank you so much for joining us. Now, this qu…

As Ukraine War Nears Its End, Europe Faces Strategic Security ... - Forbes Business Aerospace & Defense As Ukraine War Nears Its End, Europe Faces Strategic Security Dilemma By Kamran Bokhari , Contributor. Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Kamran Bokhari is a geopolitical analyst and strategic forecaster. Follow Author Dec 01, 2025, 08:19am EST Dec 01, 2025, 08:23am EST WASHINGTON, DC - AUGUST 18: (L-R) Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.S. President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte prepare to depart after a group photo prior to meeting at the White House on August 18, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump hosted President Zelensky at the White House for a bilateral meeting and an expanded meeting with European leaders to discuss a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) Getty Images The Ukraine war has reached the limits of what continued fighting can realistically achieve for any of the belligerents. All four principals – the United States, …

Europe Needs an Army - Foreign Affairs Europe Needs an Army Only Collective Defense Can Protect the Continent Max Bergmann February 9, 2026 French soldiers preparing for a military exercise in Santimbru, Romania, November 2025 Andreea Campeanu / Reuters MAX BERGMANN is Director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and the Stuart Center in Euro-Atlantic and Northern European Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. More by Max Bergmann Listen Subscribe to unlock this feature or Sign in . Share & Download Print Subscribe to unlock this feature or Sign in . Save Sign in and save to read later Close Share Europe Needs an Army Only Collective Defense Can Protect the Continent Max Bergmann Share in email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Copy Link Copied Article link: https://www.foreignaffairs.com/europe/europe-needs-army https://www.foreignaffairs.com/europe/europe-needs-army Copy Gift Link Copied This is a subscriber-only feature. Subscribe now or Sign in . Create Citation Copied Chicago MLA APSA APA Chicago Cite not available at the moment MLA Cite not available at the moment APSA Cite not available at the moment APA Cite not available at the…

Transatlantic Relations Under Trump: An Uneasy Peace - CSIS Photo: Victor Moussa/Adobe Stock Commentary byMax Bergmann Published October 6, 2025 This commentary is part of a report from the CSIS Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department entitledNavigating Disruption: Ally and Partner Responses to U.S. Foreign Policy. Digital Feature— October 6, 2025 The transatlantic relationship is surviving, just. Every transatlantic interaction, new U.S. policy initiative, or presidential social media posting has the potential of triggering a deep rupture in the grand alliance. The surprise thus far is that the explosion and rupture have not yet happened. During its first year, the second Trump administration has pushed to reorient the transatlantic alliance. Believing that the past alliance relationship wasunfair, with the United States ensuring European security but getting little in return, the Trump administration hassoughtto invert the relationship, viewing allies more as clients and creating terms, conditions, and fees for service. The linkage between economic and security discussions, while not completely unprecedented, represents a new dynamic. Thus far, Euro…

Regional Security without Democratic Alignment? Europe-Türkiye dilemma ... JACOPO FRANCESCHINI & RICCARDO GASCO INSIGHT #28 • APRIL 2025 The liberal international order as we know it is undergoing significant restructuring, with great power competition once again at the forefront. Among other signals, this shift was emphasized by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in an interview just weeks after the new administration took office, when he stated, “So it’s not normal for the world to simply have a unipolar power-that was an anomaly.” In this changing multipolar and asymmetric landscape, Europe looks both determined and forced to rise as an independent key player. However, it struggles to assert a decisive geopolitical role due to internal divisions, uncertainty in responding to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and long-standing structural and decision-making challenges. The crisis of legitimacy surrounding Europe’s international role is hindering its ability to respond effectively in an increasingly unstable global environment shaped by the divergent interests of the three main centers of power: the United States, Russia, and China. At the Munich Security Conference, U.S. Vice Pr…

The Looming Danger of Transatlantic Disunity | GJIA Conflict & Security The Looming Danger of Transatlantic Disunity Klaus Larres May 13, 2024 The specter of transatlantic disunity has returned. The formidable success of the US and its allies in achieving unity and cohesion in the aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has become endangered as fatigue, disagreements between allies, and Donald Trump’s long shadow set in. If the “relative harmony” of transatlantic relations were to continue declining, the consequences for both the essence of the Atlantic alliance and the future of European security would be dire, endangering transatlantic values like democracy and the rule of law. Concrete policy action, such as keeping the public informed about the dangers of a Russian victory in Ukraine, bolstering communication lines with Washington and repairing Franco-German relations must be taken to address growing transatlantic disunity and protect the liberal world order. Uncertain Allies During both the Cold War and the post-Cold War era the relationship between the United States and Europe could be described as an uneasy, and at times even uncertain, alliance . There was alw…

NATO Chief Says Europe Cannot Defend Itself Without U.S, France ... Share: BRUSSELS : NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte delivered one of the starkest warnings yet to Europe’s political class on Monday, forcefully rejecting the idea that the continent can secure itself without the United States and exposing the enormous economic and strategic costs of any attempt to do so. Speaking before the European Parliament , Rutte cut through months of rising rhetoric around “European strategic autonomy,” arguing that the concept collapses under scrutiny when measured against military reality, industrial capacity, and nuclear deterrence . His remarks landed at a moment of heightened transatlantic tension , as disputes over trade, defense spending, and geopolitical priorities once again test the cohesion of the Western alliance . At the center of Rutte’s message was a blunt conclusion: Europe’s security architecture remains inseparable from American power , and pretending otherwise risks strategic self-harm . A Direct Rejection of European Military Independence Rutte’s speech amounted to a direct challenge to political currents in Paris and Brussels advocating for a sovereign European defense …

European security in a time of war: Standing with Ukraine, against ... All three discussions took place against the background of Russia’s full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine, by then in its third year. But even before February 2022, the previous structures of European security had already been shaken by Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea and its intervention in eastern Ukraine, and by US President Donald Trump’s first term in 2017-2021. It was clear that principles of international law such as the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states were under threat in Europe for the first time in decades. For the first time since World War Two, one European state had seized the territory of another, with the intention of keeping it and suppressing the identity of its inhabitants. By the end of 2024, European countries no longer felt certain that the US would come to their aid if they were attacked. Trump had apparently had to be talked out of withdrawing from NATO during his first term, and continued to call into question US commitments to its European allies during his 2024 election campaign.1 The first year of Trump’s second term has further reinforced worries in Europe…

Germany and France Are Struggling to Lead NATO - Foreign Policy Analysis Europe Is Struggling to Lead NATO Germany and France are at the center of a clash over the alliance’s future. Vohra-Anchal-foreign-policy-columnist18 Anchal Vohra By Anchal Vohra , a columnist at Foreign Policy . German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, France's President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the start of the E-3 meeting during the 62nd Munich Security Conference on February 13, 2026 in Munich, Germany. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, France's President Emmanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the start of the E-3 meeting during the 62nd Munich Security Conference on February 13, 2026 in Munich, Germany. Kay Nietfeld-Pool/Getty Images Get audio access with any FP subscription. Subscribe Now ALREADY AN FP SUBSCRIBER? LOGIN July 7, 2026, 6:32 AM Last month, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte unveiled a “Trump Trillion” chart at a press conference in Washington in a bid to flatter, and perhaps even tutor, U.S. President Donald Trump. He described how U.S. NATO allies had spent more than a trillion dollars on defense since Trump first came to power in 2017 and c…

Panicked European leaders scramble to stop Trump 'blow-up' as one big NATO ally turns up without a plan | Daily Mail Online ByCHASE HOPE, POLITICAL REPORTER FOR THE DAILY MAIL Published:12:21 EDT, 6 July 2026|Updated:13:38 EDT, 6 July 2026 613 Viewcomments PresidentDonald Trump's trip to aNATOsummit in Ankara, Turkey, this week has European allies scrambling to keep him happy. But the United Kingdom is showing up without a definite plan for reaching an important defense spending benchmark,according to Politico, who wrote that European leaders were desperate to avoid a Trump 'blow-up.' The US President is expected to leave Monday evening for the two-day summit, where leaders from all 32 member countries will be there. He is expected to meet with Turkish President TayyipErdogan, Ukrainian President VolodymyrZelensky, and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa during the summit. Trump will also be looking to evaluate NATO's progress on defense spending goals, a point of long-standing friction between Trump and Europe. NATO countries have committed to spending 3.5 percent of GDP on defense by 2035. But outgoing UK Prime MinisterKeir Starmer's latestplan for future defense budgetin…

EU leaders commit to working together after Trump signals that Europe ... European Union leaders on Thursday committed to working together to bolster the continent’s defences and to free up hundreds of billions of euros for security after US President Donald Trump’s repeated warnings that he would cut them adrift to face the threat of Russia alone. Zelenskyy arrived at the emergency EU summit on Thursday, where European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is proposing a plan to loosen budget rules so countries that are willing can spend much more on defence. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a trilateral meeting with the Presidents of European Commission and European Council on Thursday. European Union leaders are holding emergency talks on Thursday on ways to quickly increase their military budgets after the Trump administration signaled that Europe must take care of its own security and also suspended assistance to Ukraine. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, second right, greets Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen during a round table meeting at an EU Summit in Brussels, Thursday, March 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert) European Commiss…

Can Europe Trust the United States Again? - Carnegie Endowment for ... Source: Getty In Donald Trump’s second term in office, the transatlantic relationship that helped define the postwar European project and global order appears broken. Is it time for Brussels to chart its own path? Director, Istituto Affari Internazionali & Professor of Practice, Johns Hopkins SAIS Europe clearly cannot trust the United States under President Donald Trump. Beyond this, Brussels should arguably not trust the country as long as it is led by any representative of the Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement, even after the current administration ends. However, while the transatlantic relationship has changed permanently and Washington can no longer be relied upon, this does not mean that America cannot be trusted again in future. Trump’s imperial ambitions in the Western hemisphere have been made amply clear by the toppling ofVenezuela’s authoritarian leaderNicolas Maduro, threats against other Latin American countries, as well as theincreasingly aggressive remarksmade about Greenland. His disdain for alliances is also well known: He shows little regard for NATO and its founding principle of co…

Empty Meetings and Broken Promises: How NATO is Failing to do its Job Ever since its foundation in 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has had a straightforward strategy to maintain peace in Europe: “keep the Soviet Union out, the United States in, and the Germans down ,”. For the past 70 years, this strategy has been incredibly successful, preventing interstate wars between its member nations, forcing the United States to maintain a large military presence in Europe, and keeping the Soviet Union isolated, eventually leading to their total collapse. However, in recent years, NATO has been suffering from a crisis of purpose, and many of its members are no longer convinced of the value of being in the alliance. While the most inflammatory example of this has been President Donald Trump’s position that NATO has become “ obsolete ”, the truth is that the organization is facing serious structural problems that are inhibiting its ability to ensure European security. In 2014, the pro-Russian Ukrainian government was toppled by a massive protest movement. In the chaotic aftermath, Russian special forces seized the strategically significant state of Crimea and helped two ea…

Could Europe defend itself without America? - UK Defence Journal Home Air Could Europe defend itself without America? Share Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Email As NATO enters its 76th year—amid talk of the United States potentially reducing its commitment to Europe—many wonder how the Alliance would fare in a crisis without direct American support. Could Europe defend itself if Washington stepped back? At first glance, the collective military power of Europe under the NATO banner is vast. In 2022, Ukraine, with far fewer and largely Soviet-era weapons, managed to halt Russia’s advance and push its forces back in most areas. By comparison, European NATO members possess thousands of modern battle tanks (Leopard 2, Leclerc, Challenger 2) and advanced fighter jets (Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, SAAB Gripen), alongside a host of Western-supplied precision-guided munitions. In raw numbers, European NATO militaries together maintain over 1.5 million active troops—more than Russia’s standing force. Further amplifying this strength is the way NATO conducts combined-arms operations, integrating infantry, armour, artillery, aviation, and naval forces into cohesive campaigns. Th…

'I commend the President': NATO chief backs Trump's Iran strikes as ... HOME / WORLD 'I commend the President': NATO chief backs Trump's Iran strikes as Europe keeps its distance Donald Trump received public backing from Mark Rutte, who said the US military campaign helped weaken Iran's nuclear capabilities BY ISHAN JAIN PUBLISHED JUN 26, 2026 President Donald Trump met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington on June 24, 2026 (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin) WASHINGTON, DC: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte threw his support behind President Donald Trump 's military campaign against Iran on Thursday, praising the operation even as several European leaders sought to distance themselves from the strikes. Rutte said both last year's Midnight Hammer nuclear facility bombing campaign and the recent operation, dubbed "Operation Epic Fury," played a key role in degrading Tehran's nuclear capabilities, while also crediting Trump with pushing NATO allies to increase defense spending. Mark Rutte praises Trump's Iran operation despite European criticism "What the US did is crucial," Rutte told reporters during a roundtable interview. "I commend t…

Can Europe Defend Itself Without U.S. Support? A Comprehensive Analysis Share: Europe — April 11, 2026 : European nations have significantly expanded their military capabilities, supported by increased defense spending , industrial coordination , and joint operational frameworks . Recent data indicates that the continent possesses substantial conventional and nuclear strength , prompting renewed assessment of its ability to operate without United States support . While aggregate capabilities are considerable, structural and technological gaps remain, particularly in advanced aviation , strategic strike systems , and unified command . Spending Expansion and Industrial Mobilization European defense expenditure reached €481 billion in 2026, surpassing the combined military budgets of Russia and China . This financial baseline is being reinforced by the European Union’s “ReArm Europe” initiative , also referred to as Readiness 2030 , which is expected to mobilize an additional €800 billion through a mix of national fiscal adjustments, joint procurement loans, and reallocated EU funds. The funding surge is directed toward expanding industrial output , improving interoperability , and a…

NATO's decline: Why the alliance has outlived its purpose NATO’s decline is natural with Europe facing fewer external threats and the growing risks from US strategic dominance over partners. Written by Policy Circle Bureau For most of its existence, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation drew legitimacy from a single proposition: Europe faced an existential external threat that only American power could deter. That proposition no longer holds. What persists instead is an alliance searching for a purpose after the disappearance of the danger that once justified its scale, costs, and discipline. The turbulence surrounding Greenland, Ukraine, and the Atlantic relationship does not signal NATO’s resilience under stress. It reveals an institution whose strategic rationale has thinned, even as its political utility is stretched beyond recognition. The most telling evidence of NATO’s predicament comes not from Moscow but from Washington. When the alliance’s secretary-general warns European leaders that they “cannot defend themselves” without the United States, he is not describing a military fact so much as reinforcing a dependency that has become politically untenable. Europe’s combined…

Europe Needs to Hear What America is Saying - Carnegie Endowment for ... Source: Getty The Trump administration has slammed the EU’s political and social policies, which it claims are undermining Europe’s identity. The stark language of the new U.S. security strategy helps Europeans to recognize new realities and to devise their own response. Whatever European officials may say about it, U.S. President Donald Trump’s newNational Security Strategy(NSS) is good news for Europe. Europe and the rest of the world now know how poorly this U.S. administration regards them and they cannot keep pretending otherwise. The NSS is not about values. It is not about supporting democracy. It is not about defending principles that the Europeans have taken for granted since the end of World War II. It is about projecting power that should reflect American economic interests. Full stop. In foreign policy terms, that definition of a power is based on a transactional premise that should benefit Americans and authoritarian regimes. For the latter, conditionality has taken on a new meaning: deliver goods and stability—not human rights (and often hectoring) which is a European criterion. As the NSS s…

Why is Europe afraid of defending itself? - PubAffairs Bruxelles While European countries have pledged to boost defense spending, they remain strategically reliant on the United States, an increasingly unreliable ally. As the US threatens disengagement, political leaders still refuse to ask the only question that matters: Can Europe ensure its security on its own? PARIS – Just days after NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte hailed the alliance’s summit in The Hague as an unqualified success, the United States halted a planned shipment of military equipment to Ukraine and eased some sanctions on several Russian banks. Since then, US President Donald Trump has apparently reversed that decision, taken by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. But nobody knows the extent and the length of this new reversal. US policy remains deeply unpredictable. And this is what scares the Europeans. Therefore, and despite Rutte’s obsequiousness, Trump is signaling that America’s security commitments are no longer tied to European countries’ efforts to strengthen their own defenses. At the summit, NATO members agreed to raise the alliance’s defense-spending target from 2% to 5% of GDP by 2035. While Russia’s…

Make NATO European? How Trump's criticism is transforming alliance As talks swirl over U.S. President Donald Trump's commitment to NATO, both sides of the Atlantic now agree: Europe needs to step up and take more responsibility for its own de...

US allies balk at Trump's appeal to help secure Strait of Hormuz - CNN Video Ad Feedback Trump criticizes allies who aren't helping secure the Strait of Hormuz 1:25 • Source: CNN Trump criticizes allies who aren't helping secure the Strait of Hormuz 1:25 Donald Trump The Middle East NATO See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Threads Link Copied! Follow Two months after Donald Trump disparaged NATO allies for what he cast as their lackluster efforts in Afghanistan , the US president has warned that the alliance faces a “very bad” future if those same allies fail to support the United States in securing the Strait of Hormuz , which Iran effectively closed after it was attacked by the US and Israel. “It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there,” Trump said Sunday in an interview with the Financial Times . “If there’s no response or if it’s a negative response, I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO.” Trump’s latest threat against the alliance has put Europe in a bind. Since Trump’s return to the White House, European leaders have taken plenty of punishment from Washington — in the form …

Europe's rupture with America reshapes NATO, defense spending at 5% European leaders are accelerating the most significant de-Americanization of the continent's defense and technology infrastructure since World War II. European leaders held an emergency five-hour session in January at the European Council headquarters in Brussels — dubbed "therapy night" by participants — to discuss how to manage a potential rupture with the United States after President Donald Trump's actions, according to officials present and detailed notes reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. The meeting marked a turning point in transatlantic relations that has since reshaped NATO's spending targets and triggered a continent-wide push to reduce reliance on American technology and military power. "The old America isn't coming back," Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney told European leaders in private messages, using a British phone number from his time in London, according to multiple officials. Carney, a former central banker who formulated a thesis about Western overreliance on a single country after the 2008-09 financial crisis, became a key voice pushing Europe toward what some leaders called "de-Americani…

NATO chief says Europe should 'keep on dreaming' if it thinks ... - CNN Video Ad Feedback NATO chief: Europe should ‘keep on dreaming’ if it thinks it can defend itself without the US 0:20 • Source: CNN NATO chief: Europe should ‘keep on dreaming’ if it thinks it can defend itself without the US 0:20 NATO Donald Trump See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Threads Link Copied! Follow NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has told Europe it should “keep on dreaming” if it thinks it can defend itself without the support of the United States. “If anyone thinks here again that the European Union, or Europe as a whole, can defend itself without the US, keep on dreaming. You can’t. We can’t. We need each other,” Rutte said during an address to the European Parliament in Brussels on Monday. The NATO chief warned European nations they would need to increase defense spending to 10% if they “really want to do it alone,” adding they would need to build up their own nuclear capability, costing billions of euros. “In that scenario, you will lose the ultimate guarantor of our freedom, which is the US nuclear umbrella. So hey, good luck,” he said. The comments came after a rollercoaster week for E…

Europe is struggling to show US it's ready to provide security ... Europe is struggling to show US it’s ready to provide security guarantees alone Europe’s security guarantees — strong Ukrainian army, subsidized defense industry, “reassurance force” in no-contact zones, and a U.S. backstop to seal the deal by Alexandra Brzozowski September 4, 2025 2:36 PM 5 min read France’s President Emmanuel Macron (R) and President Volodymyr Zelensky arrive to chair the Coalition of the Willing Summit at the Élysée Palace in Paris, France, on Sept. 4, 2025. (Ludovic Marin/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) War Prefer on Google by Alexandra Brzozowski BRUSSELS — As the so-called Coalition of the Willing gathers in Paris on Sept. 4, European leaders are expected to hear from Washington what role the U.S. is prepared to play in providing security guarantees for Kyiv. For months, American officials have repeated that Europe must shoulder the bulk of the burden. Now, with a European blueprint nearly finalized at the technical level, officials in Paris say the plans are ready for use — provided Washington offers a backstop. “We are willing and able, and we are ready,” an Elysee official told reporters on the…

Alone in a Trumpian world: The EU and global public opinion after the ... A person buys a copy of a newspaper reporting U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s election win, in Rome, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024 Image by picture alliance / ASSOCIATED PRESS | Alessandra Tarantino © Download PDF Listen Pause Stop Share LinkedIn Bluesky Tweet Instagram WhatsApp Full text also available in Português Español Summary A new survey for ECFR reveals people in many countries around the world are upbeat about the second Trump presidency. Many think Trump will not just be good for America but that he will bring peace or reduce tensions in Ukraine, the Middle East and US-China relations. In contrast, US allies in Europe and South Korea are notably pessimistic about the incoming president—suggesting a further weakening of the geopolitical “West”. Ukrainians are slightly more positive than not about the impact Trump might have on ending the conflict with Russia. But they are deeply conflicted about what could be an acceptable compromise settlement with Moscow. Europeans will struggle to find internal unity or global power in leading an outright resistance to the new administration. But the survey reveals …

Donald Trump Wants NATO Allies to Step Up. Can France Lead the Way? PresidentDonald Trumphas repeatedly criticized US European allies for their alleged failure to assume a larger share of the responsibility forNATOdeterrence and defense. Although most US angst about European burden sharing concerns preparedness for a larger conventional war on the continent, sharing risk with respect to nuclear escalation has received less consideration. Past practice suggested that the American nuclear umbrella would suffice to deterRussianthreats of nuclear escalation. On the other hand, the potential of Europe’s own national nuclear forces to deter Russian nuclear first use warrants further reflection by policymakers and military strategists. In March 2026, French PresidentEmmanuel Macronannounced a doctrine of “forward deterrence” regarding the future of French nuclear declaratory and employment policy. His statements amounted to the most important shift in French nuclear posture in decades. The more important components of this policy change are as follows. First,Francewill increase the size of its nuclear deterrent force (force de dissuasion) for the first time since 1992. The assumption b…

What Happens to NATO If the U.S. Threatens a Member's Territory? Last updated: Jan 13, 2026 3:17 AM GovFacts Published: January 13, 2026 SHARE Last updated 6 months ago. Our resources are updated regularly but please keep in mind that links, programs, policies, and contact information do change. Contents NATO’s Foundational Problem Europe’s Military Response Presidential Power and Treaty Obligations Europe’s Strategic Shift The Stakes for Smaller NATO Members Russia and China’s Strategic Opportunity Escalation Pathways What Greenlanders Want Congressional Constraints NATO’s Survival This indicates that approximately 9-10% of Senate Republicans are willing to constrain Trump on military action grounds, though a veto override would require 67 total votes and currently only 52 senators support the limitation, meaning approximately 15 additional votes would be needed. NATO’s core rule is that if one member gets attacked, all members treat it as an attack on themselves. That’s what keeps Russian tanks out of Warsaw and Baltic capitals. But Trump’s threat is different from typical alliance squabbles about defense spending or strategy: he’s saying the U.S. can attack a member’s territory…

NATO's European allies move to fill the US gap with North Atlantic and ... María R. Sahuquillo Ankara (Special correspondent) - Jul 08, 2026 - 07:02 CEST Share on Whatsapp Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Desplegar Redes Sociales Prefer EL PAÍS on Google Compartir: Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Bluesky Linkedin Copy link European allies and Canada are moving to fill the gaps in Europe’s security umbrella as the United States scales back its commitment. A group of 12 countries, including Spain, is preparing a new mission to strengthen maritime security in the North Atlantic and the Arctic, according to alliance sources. The new initiative, which will not include U.S. forces, comes after months of pressure from the Trump administration for Europe to take greater responsibility within the alliance. It also follows r enewed threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to take control of Greenland, the vast Arctic island that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. The remarks came on the eve of a NATO summit, where allies are bracing for further unpredictability from Trump. Greenland ”should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark,” Trump declared Tuesday in Ankara ahead of a bilateral …