European leaders are increasingly debating the continent’s security future as concerns grow over a potential shift in United States foreign policy. With the possibility of a change in U.S. administration, Europe is facing pressure to achieve strategic autonomy and reduce its reliance on the American security umbrella. Key discussions focus on increasing defense budgets, scaling up domestic arms production, and strengthening the European component of NATO. While some progress has been made in military spending, significant challenges remain regarding industrial fragmentation and the long-term sustainability of support for Ukraine.
- Many European nations are increasing defense spending to reach or exceed the NATO target of 2% of GDP.
- The concept of strategic autonomy is being prioritized to ensure Europe can manage regional security threats independently of U.S. involvement.
- Uncertainty surrounding the U.S. commitment to NATO’s Article 5 has prompted calls for a more robust “European pillar” within the alliance.
- The European defense industry faces obstacles including fragmented procurement processes and a need for faster production of artillery and ammunition.
- A gradual U.S. shift in focus toward the Indo-Pacific is compelling European states to take a larger role in their own territorial defense.
- Sustained military and financial aid to Ukraine is viewed as a critical test of Europe’s ability to operate without primary American leadership.
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Is Europe serious about going it alone — or is this just political rhetoric? Can the EU realistically defend itself without the United States? Let us know what you think.
Don't you know the EU is the quagmire itself?
Trump wants to keep his hands off the european affairs especially Ukraine😊
Every US President warned Europe. The question is anyone willing to fight for and then rebuild Europe.
Starts with Carney for piece about Europe 😂
Europe insists on doubling down on its political, defense, economic, legal, and regulatory arbitrage against the USA. Germany still hasn't learned its lessons from the choices of its recent past. It will only serve to speed up a separation in a rapid shock. A European "China model" will get a response. No EU Space Act, no more Safran/GE CFMs. Diana must die. That's the new scheme.
European politicians know Americans are getting tired of Euro and Canuck creeps and advantage-takers. They are only trying to delay and stuff everything in their pockets before the American body politic can get orgainized to show them the door.
Boom Boom out go the lights….
You know when you have been up the USA’s fundamental orifice for many years it takes a long time for the smell to leave you. I can smell it through the screen right now.
Why is Europe fighting with Russia then
From a Chinese TikToker (1 of 2) :
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Trump Bully Tactics Exposed: EU Says "Don't Mess With Europe"
EU Fires Back at Trump: If You've Got the Guts, Go Challenge China—What Kind of "Strength" Is Picking on Europe?
Recently, the United States released a new National Security Strategy report that has left the European Union—particularly its leadership body, the European Council—feeling unprecedented anger and offense. The focal point of this controversy is European Council President António Costa, who recently went public with a blistering critique, directly calling out the U.S. report. In his view, the document goes far beyond mere criticism of European policies; it contains outright threats to interfere in Europe's internal politics, even suggesting support for so-called "resistance forces" within European nations to counter current mainstream political directions. Costa stated plainly that such behavior has completely crossed the line of normal disagreements among allies and touched the fundamental red line of sovereign nations. "This is simply not how an ally should behave," he said.
The reaction across Europe's political sphere was swift, with widespread consensus that the U.S. approach has overstepped boundaries. Some European observers and analysts have offered even sharper interpretations. They point out that in America's new global strategic chessboard, Washington is now categorizing and labeling different opponents and partners: one group consists of "hard opponents"—those genuinely tough nuts to crack, whom the U.S. must treat with respect or even caution. The other group comprises "soft targets"—those perceived as susceptible to pressure and amenable to reshaping according to American wishes. Tragically, in this new U.S. assessment, Europe has been placed squarely in the latter category.
For Europeans, this represents a double humiliation. First, the mere fact that the U.S. would openly write into a formal national strategy document language about undermining Europe's political landscape and supporting internal opposition forces constitutes a strategic act of contempt in itself. Second, this classification brings a profound sense of degradation: Europe feels it has been positioned by the U.S. as a pliable entity to be manipulated and molded at will, with the once-equal alliance relationship now utterly erased.
So, what is the root cause of Europe's explosive anger? Simply put, Europe now feels it has become America's scapegoat and punching bag—a convenient outlet for venting domestic political pressures and deflecting strategic frustrations. In the past, when the U.S. faced internal challenges or needed to rally Western consensus, its habitual playbook was to "pick a fight" with China: aggressively promoting the "China threat" narrative, framing China as a common challenge for the West, then pulling Europe along to follow America's lead and join various containment and sanction efforts against China. Though often reluctant, Europe frequently complied to some degree out of alliance obligations.
But now the situation has shifted. The latest strategy from the Trump administration suggests the U.S. appears to be adopting a more retrenched, Western Hemisphere-focused posture. Indeed, recent actions show less frequent, less intense direct provocation of China on issues like the South China Sea or Taiwan. Europeans might have quietly breathed a sigh of relief, wondering if they could finally avoid being forced by Washington to choose sides in the U.S.-China rivalry and navigate that precarious balancing act. Yet before Europeans could savor that moment, they discovered America's spear had executed a 180-degree pivot—no longer pointing eastward, but now aimed directly westward, straight at Europe itself. The U.S. is no longer demanding that Europe join it in confronting China; instead, it has turned around and explicitly signaled: "I'm coming to fix you, Europe." Washington has stopped talking about building a global values-based alliance with Europe against China and has started discussing how to intervene in European domestic affairs and "correct" Europe's direction.
This shift has led Europeans to a conclusion that is both furious and bitter: "America, this is classic bully behavior—picking on the weak while fearing the strong." After several intense rounds of confrontation with China—from trade wars to tech wars—the U.S. discovered that China is simply too tough a nut to crack. Not only did America fail to gain significant advantage, but it found itself increasingly on the defensive in many domains, bearing substantial costs and strategic discomfort. Having been left battered and bruised by China, Washington promptly turned its attention elsewhere, spotted a relatively softer target nearby—Europe, which remains militarily and security-dependent on the U.S.—and thought: "Why not squeeze this one?" Hence, Europe's anger is entirely understandable. Internally, many Europeans are probably shouting: "If you've really got the strength, America, keep going toe-to-toe with China! What kind of 'hero' or 'global leader' picks on Europe instead?"
But anger aside, Europeans also recognize that for a president like Trump, whose policy approach is dominated by a businessman's mindset, this calculation is straightforward: grinding it out with China entails high costs, significant risks, and uncertain returns—a recipe for constant headaches. Meanwhile, pressuring Europe is low-cost, low-risk, and can even help craft a domestic political image of being "tough on allies," reinforcing a narrative of strength. A shrewd businessman like Trump has obviously run these numbers very clearly.
Consequently, we can observe that within the very same National Security Strategy report that has Europeans fuming, the U.S. tone toward China has noticeably softened. It no longer portrays China as the all-encompassing, systemic rival of previous years; it has dialed back rhetoric about global containment; and it has stopped emphasizing coalition-building for values-based alliances targeting China. Strategic planners in Washington see the reality with crystal clarity: given China's robust economic strength, complete industrial and supply chains, thriving tech and manufacturing sectors, and growing global influence—particularly among Global South nations—the United States simply no longer possesses the capacity to execute large-scale, comprehensive containment of China. Instead, it must narrow its focus, employing limited tools to maintain presence and influence in the Asia-Pacific region and around China's periphery.
This adjustment in America's posture toward China is absolutely not due to any sudden warmth or goodwill. Rather, it reflects a recognition of diminished capacity—an unavoidable contraction in the face of hard realities. From chip supply chain competition to development cooperation contests in the Global South, to tangible comparisons in industrial capacity, infrastructure development, and artificial intelligence advancement, the U.S. has found it cannot resolve the "China question" through sheer pressure alone. Hence, it has shifted its language, lowering the confrontational tone and quietly downgrading what was once an ambitious global contest into a more limited, regionally focused competition.
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From a Chinese TikToker (2 of 2) :
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Precisely this necessary U.S. recalibration toward China has, in turn, further inflamed European sensitivities. Europeans feel: "So, you hit a wall with China, realized the tough cookie couldn't be cracked, and now you're turning around to double down on pressure against us 'soft targets'? You're literally writing 'bully the weak, fear the strong' across your forehead!" Europe now sees this drama with stark clarity: on the true great-power competition chessboard, facing an opponent like China, America no longer has the leverage to dominate and must even adjust tactics to avoid direct confrontation. Yet America's posture as global hegemon cannot be allowed to collapse, and its appetite for domination remains unsated. So what's the solution? If pushing extreme confrontation in the East is too risky, then reassert that command-and-control dynamic in the West—within its traditional alliance circle. Thus, the condescending attitude and interference in European internal affairs have intensified.
An additional compounding factor is at play: the U.S. has long had historical motives and incentives to economically, commercially, and militarily exploit Europe—pushing European nations to bear greater costs. Now, layered atop that is a new dynamic: having faced setbacks in its China strategy and suffered strategic frustration, Washington feels a need to "recoup" losses and reaffirm its strength. The natural target for that recalibration? The relatively weaker Europe. Consequently, America's attitude toward Europe has become harsher and more coercive than ever before—a bitterly ironic twist. The Western world frequently lectures others about "double standards," yet now Europe itself is experiencing firsthand what it feels like to be on the receiving end of that very same double standard. Toward China, the U.S. must exercise caution and soften its tone. Toward Europe, America acts with impunity, landing heavy blows. The boomerang has finally returned—and struck its thrower.
Yet beyond anger and irony lies a cold reality: what can Europe actually do? Despite burning fury and a profound sense of humiliation, Europe may, to a large extent, have no choice but to endure. Militarily and in terms of security, Europe remains heavily dependent on NATO—and thus on the United States. Economically and financially, deep interdependence with America makes a complete rupture prohibitively costly. This is precisely the real-world manifestation of the "law of the jungle" philosophy that the West itself has long championed and promoted: if you are not at the very top of the food chain, lacking absolute strength, then your fate may simply be to become a dish on someone else's menu—subject to manipulation and control.
Europe now finds itself in precisely such an awkward and painful position. It is finally experiencing firsthand what it means to be the "soft target" in the game of power politics.
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From another Chinese TikToker :
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Internal Divisions Are Just a Facade: Representatives from 30 NATO Nations Gather in Japan, Openly Endorsing Sanae Takaichi
Recent widespread reports of infighting within NATO have led the world to believe that this transatlantic military alliance is on the verge of collapse and imminent dissolution. Yet, while this drama of division plays out in full view, representatives from 30 NATO countries have simultaneously traveled to Japan, blatantly throwing their support behind right-wing politician Sanae Takaichi. This stark contradiction exposes NATO's elaborate deception: the so-called internal fractures have been a staged performance for external audiences all along.
Lately, former U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly issued harsh criticisms toward NATO's European allies, dismissing the alliance as a "paper tiger," vowing to settle accounts with these partners, and accusing them of long-standing underpayment of defense contributions while free-riding on American security guarantees. He has publicly threatened on multiple occasions to withdraw the United States from NATO altogether, even leveraging the prospect of withdrawing U.S. troops from Europe as a bargaining chip—adopting a stance so uncompromising it seemed as though a complete break with European allies was imminent. Trump is not alone; hardline figures across the American political establishment have amplified internal NATO tensions, while certain European nations have echoed these sentiments with complaints about U.S. hegemonic overreach. The resulting back-and-forth has fueled intense public discord. Consequently, narratives of NATO's fragmentation and a U.S.-Europe rift have gained significant traction. Many have genuinely come to believe that NATO is now so riddled with internal contradictions that it can no longer act cohesively, leaving it too preoccupied to engage in affairs beyond its traditional sphere. Reality, however, has delivered a sharp rebuke to these assumptions.
Shortly thereafter, permanent representatives from all 30 NATO member states embarked on a visit to Japan, moving in lockstep and making unmistakably clear their intent to publicly bolster Sanae Takaichi. It is crucial to note that, at this very moment, Takaichi is aggressively pushing to revise Japan's "Three Principles on Transfer of Defense Equipment and Technology," aiming to completely lift restrictions on arms exports, dramatically expand military capabilities, pursue amendments to Japan's pacifist constitution, and steadily advance toward the revival of militarism—all while openly intervening in cross-strait affairs and testing the boundaries of the postwar international order. In the face of Japan's dangerously escalatory military trajectory, the thirty NATO nations raised no objections, choosing instead to turn a blind eye. On the contrary, through their collective visit, they provided explicit encouragement for Takaichi's radical policies, finalizing agreements with Japan on defense cooperation, military-industrial coordination, and related matters. This episode alone demonstrates that NATO's prior displays of infighting, disputes, threats of rupture, and public statements were deliberately manufactured illusions; the alleged internal divisions simply do not exist at a fundamental level.
Therefore, a core truth must be recognized: all tensions within NATO have always been confined to matters of burden-sharing and distribution of responsibilities—never touching upon fundamental strategic alignment. Trump's rhetoric about withdrawing from NATO and "settling accounts" was, from the outset, a piece of electoral political theater designed to pressure European allies through a hardline posture, compelling them to increase defense spending, bind themselves more tightly to America's hegemonic agenda, and better align with U.S. global strategic objectives. Similarly, the complaints and pushback from European allies merely reflect minor internal bargaining over interests. Deep down, they understand that maintaining Western hegemony and containing emerging powers in the Asia-Pacific requires that the NATO alliance remain intact.
On core objectives—advancing hegemonic influence globally, intervening in regional affairs, and promoting NATO's "Indo-Pacificization"—all member states maintain unwavering, highly unified positions with no substantive disagreement. This explains precisely why NATO, after seemingly teetering on the brink of fragmentation, could so swiftly assemble full representation to back Japan. Courting Japan and extending NATO's reach into the Asia-Pacific is a shared ambition across the alliance. Member states view Japan as a forward operative in the region, intending to leverage its geopolitical advantages to construct an "Asia-Pacific NATO," establish a military containment network targeting China, secure dominance over regional discourse, and preserve their own hegemonic status. In pursuit of this common hegemonic interest, NATO can instantly set aside all internal disputes, disregard the risks associated with Japan's militarist resurgence, and pay no heed to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific—willingly colluding with Japan's right-wing forces. The so-called internal divisions are merely a smokescreen intended to mislead the international community and lull neighboring countries into complacency, all while NATO quietly advances its Asia-Pacific positioning and covertly stirs regional tensions.
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"Strategic Autonomy" and military "capability" are just a French shopping list of subsidies for its defense industry. A compete game. France's jet industry and Airbus only thrived from American technology. Thr USA should prohibit any American company not only from transferring technology but from creating any joint ventures or Eueopwan subsidiaries. We should not repeat the CFM International (Safran/GE). In fact, we need to break up that joint venture, ASAP.
You guys talk a lot but don’t do anything… meetings and meetings and more meetings.
Ofcourse ,Europe will find out, I mean will fight it out, I think without a superpower you'll have a leaderless countries fighting over issues without a judge (superpower) ruling over them. 😅
The umbilical cord is being broken. Independent life can be painful.
Was good comedian to watch..lot of laughs 😂😂😂
Wrong questions, wrong answers. The EU will never achieve a military security if it does not define what that security would protect Europe from first. The US? Nah (although it’s a bit iffy with the current president. But the mentally unstable psycho will be gone in a few years). China? Almost certainly not. Russia? The country with a big inferiority complex, a dubious past and a murderous dictator at the top? Quite probably yes. So stop dancing around it.
The EU is weak, they will fail without Trump.
The gentleman says that America has changed in ways beyond just Trump, and that Trump going away won't return the US to "normal". However, he did not elaborate on these non-Trump changes. Not saying he's wrong, but I would've liked to hear more.
Of course Europe can defend it self! We are just badly managed the political cartels from the left to the right have only one adjective that is sabotage each other at any cost while the oligarchs rape and pillage our wallets
we europeans have learned from the past, we have fought wars thousands of years before the ''usa'' even existed this is a little bit how i feel it I often see Europe as a weary but wise elder, someone who has lived a thousand lives, made every possible mistake, and survived the bloodiest of wars. This 'old soul' is now trying to use that hard-earned wisdom to build a more stable, civilized existence based on diplomacy and social care.
Compared to Europe, the U.S. is the "new kid on the block" They’ve barely been on the map for 250 years—a heartbeat in history—yet they display this massive 'nouveau riche' arrogance. It grew up fast, became incredibly wealthy, and hasn't seen its own cities destroyed by modern war, They mistake Europe’s caution for weakness and show a blatant lack of respect for the very history that paved the way for their own wealth "When Americans bring up WWII as their ultimate 'gotcha' card, they conveniently forget the most basic fact: We are the parents; they are the child.
Europe didn’t just 'exist'—we created the world they now claim to lead. Their language, their laws, their philosophy, and their very existence as a nation came from our soil and our history.
Yes, they played a role in the war, but that doesn't give them a license to be disrespectful to the literal architects of their civilization. You don't get to act like the boss of a history that was already thousands of years old before your 'country' was even a thought on a map."They are like a shiny apple on the highest branch, mocking the roots for being 'old and slow.' They forget that without those ancient, deep-reaching roots, the branch wouldn't exist, and the apple would be nothing but dust. greetings from the Netherlands !
I'm an American and I'm ready for a Post-America world?
Keeping an open mind : Can Europe Trump… Trump's administration.
Europe has not earned respect. But we can set up a meeting to discuss this prior to establishing a working group. The idea that negotiation with Iran has been successful is illusionary. The idea that ballistic missiles can now reach Europe when Iran had ‘set’ a 2000km limit should raise concern. Once they can strike London and have a de-facto hostage, they will finish their advanced weapons.
Time for the world to move on from lunatic trump.
Finally, the mainstream discusses this.
you want usa help and commitment when it comes to your security but when USA wants your commitment for her security USA always find its self alone,yes American people have realize this and you are absolutely correct after trump is not going to be a same as well
Canada and the EU will have to increase defense spending several fold to backfill any U.S. pullout. So the choices will be massive deficit spending or massive cutbacks in social programs. I don't think people in the EU know how bad it will get. Then China will come in, eat your lunch and take your jobs like they did the U.S.'s in the early 2000s.
You can but you gotta stop spending on welfare and start spending on your own defense
Time for the EU to stand up; and for the US to close ALL bases in the EU. As the man said, "we are too weak and to US dependant."
The JCPOA gave an enormous boost to Iran's spending on proxy armies and conventional missile forces. It simply had to be stopped and undone, leading as it was to an even far more serious crisis than the one we're in now. Still seeing the JCPOA as having been a great thing is a mind-boggling exercise in self-delusion.
Europe has more to worry about a Post-European Europe world.
It’s ridiculous to say that Trump doesn’t love Europe. He loves Europe like you love your family. He has very personal and deep affection for all of Europe and saying that he doesn’t just shows your bias and discussed for the world.
nuclear capabilities? we only need deterrence not destruction of everybody in the world, is different no?
As a Canadian, I hope CANZUK becomes a reality in wake of this, I would much rather have closer ties to Europe and Asia than with the US.
The USA congress can't stop War Crimes from ISRAEL and TRUMP. Who can? Global governments CAN STOP the war crimes by SANCTIONS AGAINST ISRAEL IMMEDIATELY . To stop the WAR CRIMES , SANCTIONS AGAINST ISRAEL by ACTIONS (not the fancy words from global political parties on TV ) ! Global young people Demand SAFE WORLD today !
I think Europe can’t defend from russia in terms of military conflict . But on ego and yeah you can defeat russia by that!
The trust in the American voter,even the trust in the American people as a whole is gone and will be gone for decades to come.
Everything Trump does makes China stronger and America weaker.
The analyst is partially right at the end. It is in the USA's interests to keep the nuclear deterrent, but it is not geopolitically trapped. If Europe's compete and undermine gaming continues, then Europe is looking at a Mark Carney rupture.
You will still have to deal with the USA. It will still be here. Do you want it as am enemy or ally?
Will cost both arms and legs, all 4 limbs. Will they do it though?