“The era of America straining to uphold the global order like Atlas is over,” President Donald Trump’s administration declared at the beginning of the newly released 33-page strategy, though it remains unclear whether this was a reflection on the past or a statement of a new policy direction.
Since World War II, the US has served as Europe’s security shield, spending money and deploying troops to safeguard the region. But from his first term, Trump repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with this arrangement.
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He has often argued that European allies rely too heavily on the US and fail to spend enough on their own defense. At one point, he even claimed that the European Union (EU) was created to “take advantage of America.”
In the new national security blueprint, the Trump administration calls on European countries to “take primary responsibility” for their own defense—an implicit message that Washington should no longer provide Europe’s security umbrella.
The document accuses the EU of stifling “political freedom,” warns that several NATO members risk becoming “non-European states,” and suggests the US should align with “patriotic parties” in Europe—an indirect reference to the region’s far-right movements.
The bluntness of the message has forced European leaders to confront a strategic crossroads as the transatlantic alliance they depend on appears increasingly fragile.
“It’s right there on whitehouse.gov for the world to see. That makes it very hard to swallow,” said Charles A. Kupchan, former senior director for European affairs at the US National Security Council under President Barack Obama. The strategy appears to confirm what many feared: the American umbrella is closing, and Europe must urgently debate whether to continue relying on it or strengthen its own military capabilities.
“Is this Europe’s wake-up call?” asked Nathalie Tocci, a professor at Johns Hopkins University and adviser to senior EU officials.
Fearing a rupture in transatlantic ties, European governments have increased defense spending and expanded cross-border military cooperation in recent years. Germany, one of the region’s strongest defense powers, passed legislation last week to boost troop numbers by nearly 50%. The EU has also appointed its first defense commissioner to support weapons production and military collaboration within the bloc.
Despite these steps, Europe remains heavily dependent on the US—even amid criticism from Trump’s administration. Some argue Europe must truly change.
“So far, they haven’t had any systemic response,” said Romano Prodi, former president of the European Commission, expressing hope that the bloc will develop a more assertive policy. “This doesn’t mean cutting ties with the US, but Europe needs its own voice.”
Observers say the lack of strong public reaction from European leaders to the new US strategy reflects their familiarity with Trump’s confrontational style. Many believe the best response is simply to wait for his anger to subside and hope things return to normal.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas reflected this approach on November 6. “The US remains our most important ally. We don’t always agree on everything, but I believe the core principles haven’t changed,” she said.
Kupchan, now an international relations professor at Georgetown University, argued that “staying quiet” is Europe’s smartest—and possibly only—long-term strategy. To preserve the transatlantic alliance, he said, “praising Trump and keeping him on your side” is essential, even if the US strategy document is “hard to digest.”
Europe now faces a dual challenge: maintaining the integration that has kept the continent peaceful and prosperous, while also holding onto America’s security guarantee. Kupchan described European integration over the past 80 years as “one of the greatest modern achievements.” But Trump’s new strategic vision—favoring right-wing parties—could weaken and divide the continent, leading to a “fractured Europe,” according to experts at Johns Hopkins.
The document also echoes the warning made by US Vice President JD Vance during his controversial speech at the Munich Security Conference on February 14. He argued that Europe’s greatest threat “comes from within.”
“The threat to Europe that concerns me most is not Russia, China, or any external force,” Vance said. “It’s the internal retreat from some of Europe’s most fundamental values.”
Vance accused European governments of “stifling free speech and democracy” by suppressing far-right accounts on social media.
Many nationalist right-wing parties in Europe have applauded the new US security vision.
“All of this reflects our message and prediction, so we are very pleased,” said Hermann Tertsch of Spain’s far-right Vox party.
He added that under previous US administrations, European right-wing movements were “very afraid” of America. But under Trump, “a new era has begun.”