Name: New U.S. national security strategy rattles Europe
Uploaded: 2025-12-08T23:46:29.529Z
Duration: 3 min 25 s
Description: The new US security strategy document is a break from the past, when the US emphasized spreading democracy. It is particularly critical of Europe. What does this mean for the future of the transatlantic relationship?

The new US security strategy document is a break from the past, when the US emphasized spreading democracy. It is particularly critical of Europe. What does this mean for the future of the transatlantic relationship?

Brussels

Russian forces have invaded Ukraine from land, air and sea with strikes causing widespread damage. Global leaders have condemned the move and imposed sanctions.

Ukraine Invasion

The Trump administration has released a new national security strategy that marks a significant departure from previous U.S. policies toward Europe. The document emphasizes that Europe should assume primary responsibility for its own defense and suggests the U.S. may reduce its involvement in areas not deemed critical to its security, including Europe.

European officials have downplayed the shift but stressed their independence, while the strategy's support for certain European political parties has raised concerns about potential U.S. interference in domestic politics. The document omits a clear stance on Russia and NATO expansion, drawing a positive response from the Kremlin and sparking apprehension among European leaders about the future of transatlantic relations.

New U.S. national security strategy rattles Europe

The U.S. military has, for decades, protected Europe. The NATO alliance was considered sacred, with European and American officials sitting down to work out differences, even if everyone knew the U.S. was actually in charge. Now the Trump administration's national security strategy seems to spell an end to all that. It's supposedly a non-binding 33-page window into the Trump administration's thinking. A combination of demands, critiques, and what seem like threats to interfere in European politics. A section called Burden Sharing and Burden Shifting lays out a stark contrast to previous U.S. administrations. The U.S. should enable Europe to stand on its own feet, including by taking primary responsibility for its own defense. The strategy document says the U.S. should de-emphasize areas not critical to U.S. security, which now seem to include Europe. EU officials played down the shift in tone, and sounded a note of independence. Let's focus on the things that we can do together. What we can take from that security strategy is that we are still allies with America. We don't always see eye to eye on everything, but it's our internal matters we can handle ourselves. The section on Promoting European Greatness makes no mention of shared democratic values, except to blame the EU for subverting democratic processes and undermining liberty and sovereignty. It says the U.S. will support patriotic parties to prevent a future of civilizational collapse in Europe, where certain NATO members will become majority non-European. In the past year, U.S. officials have praised parties like Germany's AFD. Promoting them would be seen as election interference from a country that is supposedly an ally. I believe that issues such as freedom of expression or the organization of our free societies here, at least in Germany, do not belong in this context. Nor do we believe that anyone needs to give us advice on these matters. They are regulated by our constitutional order. The question of what to do about Russia is missing from the document. It says that the U.S. should end the perception that NATO will keep expanding, a central demand for Russia to end its war in Ukraine. And it blames European governments for extending the war, allegedly against the wishes of their citizens. No mention is made of Russia's aggression in launching a full-scale invasion on its neighbor, which sits at the border of EU countries. The Kremlin welcomed the document. The adjustments that we see correspond in many ways to our vision. So there's reason to hope this could be a modest guarantee that constructive joint work on finding a peaceful settlement for Ukraine, at minimum, can continue. Taken all together, for many in Europe it's confirmation that Trump intends to turn his back and leave them on their own, except to intervene in their politics as he sees fit. For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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New U.S. national security strategy rattles Europe

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Ukraine Invasion