Wiktoria Janecko
Relations between the United States and Europe are increasingly strained – at precisely the moment when Europe is facing its most severe security crisis in decades: Russia’s war against Ukraine. In Washington’s emerging political logic, Europe no longer figures as a natural ally. Instead, it is recast as a strategic and political burden.
A new White House policy document leaves little room for doubt about this shift. Under Donald Trump, U.S. foreign policy priorities have been fundamentally reordered. Economic self-interest now shapes the agenda, intertwined with a clear ideological sympathy for right-wing populist movements across Europe. The White House issued the document at a critically inopportune moment, as Russia has openly declared its readiness for military confrontation with Europe while the war in Ukraine enters a critical phase.
Within the national security strategy paper, Europe is described as a continent facing alleged censorship, shrinking freedom of expression, and weakening democratic norms. The European Union is shown as an institution that limits political freedoms, while migration is presented in almost apocalyptic terms. This rhetoric echoes the messages of Europe’s far-right movements and matches key themes in Russian propaganda.
The security implications are particularly alarming. The White House policy document makes it clear that European countries are expected to take “primary responsibility” for their own defense. This represents a shift away from the United States’ long-standing role as the main guarantor of European security within NATO. An alliance that has served as a stabilizing force for decades is now described in the document as a liability, accompanied by demographically charged suggestions that some member states could become “majority non-European”. This marks a clear departure from the long-standing understanding of the transatlantic alliance as a partnership rooted in shared democratic values and collective security.
At the same time, Trump has increased his public criticisms of Europe’s political leaders. In a recent interview with POLITICO, he described Europe as “declining”, governed by “weak” leaders who are unable to manage migration or bring the war in Ukraine to an end. This rhetoric appears to be part of a broader strategy, including support for so-called “patriotic” parties across the continent.
It is worth noting, however, that Trump’s characterization of a “declining Europe” does not reflect reality. Its main purpose is largely domestic: by portraying Europe in this way, he reinforces his political message within the United States. At the same time, this approach has significant implications for the European Union. Support for right-wing populist parties could affect the EU from within, influence collective decision-making, and challenge a united European position toward Russia. The strategy does not focus on creating new alliances but may weaken existing ones.
Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe
Although the strategy paper largely presents Europe as a political burden, it makes a clear exception for what it calls “healthy nations of Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe”. This distinction suggests a deliberate effort to divide Europe internally rather than treat it as a unified partner. In this framework, parts of Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe are portrayed as more politically and ideologically compatible with the United States than Western Europe.
The term “healthy nations” is not a neutral description. Instead, it reflects a normative judgment that favors strong national sovereignty, limited migration, and skepticism toward supranational institutions such as the European Union. These characteristics are implicitly contrasted with the document’s negative portrayal of Western Europe as politically weak and socially fragmented.
The proposed means of engagement – commercial ties, weapons sales, political cooperation, and cultural and educational exchanges – point to a pragmatic and transactional approach. Economic cooperation and arms sales take precedence over long-term security commitments, while bilateral political cooperation allows the United States to bypass European institutions. Cultural and educational exchanges further indicate an attempt to shape political elites and public discourse in the region. As a result, Central, Eastern, and Southern European countries are framed less as partners in a collective security order and more as a region of selective strategic influence. This approach risks deepening internal divisions within Europe at a time when unity is crucial, particularly given the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Trump is widely seen as one of the most influential external figures affecting Europe’s political landscape in the coming year. His influence appears to lie less in setting a specific policy agenda than in shaping alliances, institutions, and long-standing political norms. Europe now faces a fundamental strategic choice: should it maintain close ties with the United States despite growing security uncertainties, or should it acknowledge the new realities and accelerate the development of its own military, political, and strategic capabilities? Whatever path is chosen, one point is clear: Trump’s vision of global order has highlighted tensions in trust between the United States and Europe.
Sources:
Alexander Burns: Trump thrashes European leaders in wide-ranging interview: ‘I think they’re weak’, in: POLITICO, December 09, 2025, online: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/09/trump-dasha-burns-interview-europe-immigration-ukraine-00682016.
Jason Horowitz: Trump Has Long Disdained Europe’s Elites. Now, It’s Official, in: The New York Times, December 06, 2025, online: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/06/world/europe/trump-europe-strategy-document.html.
Brandon Livesay: Trump administration says Europe faces ‘civilisational erasure’, in: BBC, December 05, 2025, online: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c04vdengk3do.
Peter R. Neumann: US-Sicherheitsstrategie als Warnschuss: Wie gefährlich ist Trump für Europa?, in: TAGESSPIEGEL, December 12, 2025, online: https://www.tagesspiegel.de/internationales/us-sicherheitsstrategie-als-warnschuss-wie-gefahrlich-ist-trump-fur-europa-15046682.html.
President Donald Trump | The Conversation with Dasha Burns, uploaded by POLITICO, December 09, 2025, YouTube, online: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVV1tbNZf_A.
Katharina Schuster: Was steckt hinter Trumps nationaler Sicherheitsstrategie?, in: ZDF heute, December 06, 2025, online: https://www.zdfheute.de/politik/ausland/usa-trump-sicherheitsstrategie-europa-100.html.
The White House. National Security Strategy 2025. Washington, DC: The White House, 2025. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf.
Anchal Vohra: How Trump’s outreach to Europe’s far right aims to split EU, in: Deutsche Welle, December 10, 2025, online: https://www.dw.com/en/how-trumps-outreach-to-europes-far-right-fits-into-his-national-security-strategy/a-75092824.
