US relationships with Europe after Trump-Tutin call never the same again
US relationships with Europe after Trump-Tutin call never the same again
The American era in Europe is coming to an end. Two geopolitical events on Wednesday will fundamentally change transatlantic relationships. While Donald Trump made plans to end the Ukraine War in a conversation with Vladimir Putin and agreed to exchange presidential visits, US Defense Minister Pete Hegseth in Brussels asked European allies to take more responsibility for conventional security on the continent.
Trump's "America First" ideology
This distinctive change reflects Trump's "America First" ideology, which sees every question or alliance as a financial consideration. At the same time, this shows how he freed himself from advisory forces of established politics that are rooted in Western foreign policy and, in his opinion, hindered him during his first term.
changes in the NATO
Despite Hegseth's reappointment of the NATO alliance, something fundamental has changed. While America's interventions have won two world wars that started in Europe and secured the freedom of continent to the Soviet threat, Trump said during the election campaign that he might not be defending alliance members who would not invest sufficiently in defense. This is reminiscent of Winston Churchill's statement from 1940 about the question of when the "New World" will break up to save the "Old World".
Hegseth's surprising openness
It is long clear that a second Trump administration would make new demands on European partners, which could lead to painful decisions for governments that give social expenses more important than defense. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte found that Europeans have to raise more money for their military. "If you don't, do your Russian courses or move to New Zealand," he said.a new, hard approach
Hegseth's tough demand for 5% of GDP by the alliance partners to defend and prioritize the conflict with China and the national security of the United States against Europe suggest that an infiltration is no longer tolerated. This new, hard procedure is not part of Trump's imagination to drive the Palestinians out of Gaza to create the "Riviera of the Middle East". Rather, it is a rational reaction to changed political conditions.
The reality of Ukraine
The first exam of this new reality between the USA and Europe will be via Ukraine. Trump announced that the negotiations to end the Ukraine War would "start" immediately after his conversation with Putin. An alarming turn for the government in Kiev was that Ukrainian President Wolodymyr Selenskyj was not included in the negotiations, which the concern feeds that Trump could possibly negotiate peace that favor Russia.
The geopolitical consequences
The worrying view that Trump ignores Selenskyj's ambitions and that Russia may draw advantages from its aggression, also trembles Europe. The warnings from France, Germany, Poland and other European countries that a fair and permanent peace is a necessary prerequisite for strong transatlantic security bonds are increasingly precarious geopolitical climate. The future US position on Ukraine will be critically observed in Kiev, while reports indicate that Trump and Putin could create a new European reality.
an ironic historical parallel
The talks between Trump and Putin could possibly set the course for a new geopolitical division in Europe, which is reminiscent of the division of Germany after the Second World War. The possibility that Putin with American help creates a new “East Germany” in the 21st century could not only be a cruel historical irony, but also endanger European stability.
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