US-Europe security realignment could come with unintended consequences

Published March 16, 2025 8:00am ET



President Donald Trump has sent a clear message to Europe in his first six weeks back in office that the era during which the continent could assume an American security blanket would cover it is over. The corollary is that Europe must bolster its own security and do more to look after itself.

Trump says the United States has been getting ripped off for years and that Europe has been taking advantage of the superpower’s generosity, particularly when it comes to NATO spending. But as he seeks to wean Europe off dependence on the American military, he risks losing influence over allies on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

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