The US’s European allies are gradually starting to distance themselves from Washington after Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
In EU countries, there is increasing talk of the need for strategic independence and reducing dependence on American policy, the Foreign Policy article states.
The authors of the article note that after Trump’s victory in the 2024 elections, European leaders initially tried to adapt to his style of governance. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was one of the first to visit the White House, and even offered Trump a second state visit on behalf of the King of Great Britain.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has also demonstrated loyalty to the American president.
Over time, however, doubts began to arise in Europe about the reliability of the United States as a strategic partner. The article recalls Washington's decision to reduce its military presence in Germany, the introduction of tariffs against allies and Trump's regular criticism of European leaders.
Nevertheless, European countries continued to increase their defense spending, compensated for part of American aid to Ukraine and provided infrastructure for US operations in the Middle East.
At the same time, European countries began to make decisions that should reduce dependence on the United States in the future. The Central Bank of the Netherlands refused the services of “Amazon“ in favor of the German supplier Lidl, and the Danish Ministry of Defense chose the Franco-Italian SAMP/T air defense system instead of the American Patriot. In the article, this process is called the “quiet exit“ of Europe from transatlantic dependence.
The authors pay special attention to Ukraine. According to the journalists, Kiev is gradually becoming not only a recipient of assistance, but also into an independent player in world politics thanks to the experience of modern warfare and the development of unmanned technologies.
The article mentions that the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky during his visits to the Middle East discussed cooperation with the Gulf states in the field of security and protection from Iranian threats.
"The Armed Forces of Ukraine are currently one of the most effective and experienced in the world", – the publication says.
The authors also note the strengthening of new international formats for cooperation without a dominant role of the United States. As an example, the “coalition of the willing“ - a union of over 35 countries supporting Ukraine, including Canada, Japan and Australia.
According to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, “the international order will be rebuilt, and from Europe“.
As Politico reports, EU countries are increasingly preparing for possible problems within NATO due to the unpredictable policy of US President Donald Trump. According to the publication, fears are growing in Europe that the US may remain both the main guarantor of the Alliance's security and a factor of instability for it.
According to information from The Washington Post, NATO allies are preparing to reduce the US contingent on the European continent. The situation is caused by the position of US leader Donald Trump, whose plans have confused everyone due to his contradictory statements. Against this background, Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with the foreign ministers of NATO countries in Sweden. The meeting discussed the situation surrounding the sending of “additional 5,000 military personnel“ to Poland after the withdrawal of the contingent from Germany.