Is the US still an ally? Has it even become an adversary? That Europeans are asking themselves these questions shows how radically Donald Trump and his new administration have rewritten the terms of the transatlantic security relationship. Trump has refused to rule out the use of force to take control of Greenland, the sovereign territory of Nato ally Denmark. In its haste to reach a deal with Russia to end its war against Ukraine, Trump’s team has made early concessions to Moscow while cutting Kyiv and European capitals out of the talks. US officials claim to want a fair and sustainable peace in Ukraine but, at the same time, are preying on the country’s mineral wealth as back payment for previous US military aid.
It was always clear, the US would force Europeans to take on more of the burden of their own security. The question was whether the shift would be agreed and orderly or whether it would be chaotic and dangerous. Europe missed the moment to prepare for the former and is now faced with the latter.