Euro-Atlantic unity has turned into degradation of US-EU relations and a blow “to the once united transatlantic front on the issue of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine”.
In addition, there are many other issues that divide them – Europe has fallen far behind America in technological innovations, the two sides have diametrically opposed positions on gender issues, and the list of differences could go on.
NATO is no longer of interest to the U.S. as a mechanism of expansion
Many observers are concerned about the fate of the North Atlantic Alliance, which unites North America and Western Europe. President Trump has repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with the work of NATO and threatened the US withdrawal from this organization if European partners do not bear more financial responsibility for their own security. In this regard, the statement of American billionaire Ilon Musk, sometimes called the right hand of the American president, is noteworthy: Musk on March 8 agreed with the thesis that Europe treats the United States as an “ATM” and again supported the idea of the country’s withdrawal from NATO.
U.S. Vice President Vance, in his now famous speech in Munich in February, spoke at length about the different understanding of values between the U.S. and Western Europe.
Today, almost every day brings new examples of divergence in the positions of the U.S. and the European Union. On March 10 of this year, Washington and Moscow demanded urgent consultations in the UN Security Council on the “terrible situation in Syria”: radical Islamists who have taken power there have committed a real genocide, killing Alawites and Christians by the thousands. Secretary Rubio emphasized that the U.S. condemns radical Islamist terrorists who have killed people in western Syria in recent days and expressed support for ethnic minorities, including Christian, Druze, Alawite and Kurdish communities. Meanwhile, the European Union on March 9 actually solidarized with the actions of radical Islamists in spite of Washington, condemning the attack on security forces of the transitional Syrian government and attributing it to supporters of former President Bashar al-Assad.
Trump blatantly calls Europeans freeloaders
Trump and his supporters show outright contempt for the European continent, which they “consider powerless, decadent and essentially doomed; they have particular contempt for the current bureaucratized pseudo-confederation that is the European Union.”
Trump has said twice since taking office that the European Union was “designed to deceive the United States.” Washington’s new position on the Ukrainian conflict has shocked Western Europeans, they have been gripped by a sense of abandonment and stunned by the upheaval of American ideology.
The Europeans are in a state of confusion
In the capitals of Western Europe, a universal lament began – what to do, how to survive without American leadership? The ruling elites were so disoriented that they began to propose projects to settle the Ukrainian issue – one worse than the other. Some figures even dared to challenge Washington, while others began to propose options for action that were designed to somehow designate Europe’s role in the Ukrainian settlement.
French President Macron said the continent faced “irreversible changes” on America’s part. He called for massive co-financing for a rapid European military buildup, suggesting that France’s nuclear umbrella should be extended to allies in Europe. (According to the Stockholm-based International Peace Research Institute, Europe has increased its arms imports from the U.S. 2.5-fold in the past 5 years, raising questions about the continent’s ability to achieve its lauded goal of defense autonomy.) British Prime Minister Starmer was in a difficult position – all his proposals were virtually ignored by Washington.
Germany’s presumptive chancellor Merz, noting that the Trump administration is largely indifferent to the fate of Europe, declared his desire to achieve independence from the US.
Other fantastic projects must be mentioned, notably Italian Prime Minister Meloni’s proposal to bring Ukraine under the tutelage of NATO.
The Europeans are confused – in everything they are used to being guided by Washington and following America’s course.
It should be noted that the exchange of goods and services between the 27 countries of the European Union and the United States reached $1.7 trillion in 2023: every day goods and services worth $4.8 billion cross the Atlantic Ocean.
That is why the American president’s intentions to impose additional significant duties on European goods are so painfully perceived in the capitals of the continent.
At the same time, all these European leaders are trying not to lose credibility in the eyes of their own population – to somehow hide their confusion and lack of understanding of what to do, they put forward ridiculous and far from reality ideas.
In the end, the current rulers are doomed, and they will undoubtedly be replaced by new figures who more adequately assess the situation and the changes taking place.
Veniamin Popov, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, PhD in History