Trump's impact on European security

US President Trump’s renewed emphasis on sovereignty and national interests requires Europe to take (more) responsibility for its own security and defence.

This Report examines the consequences of the new transatlantic relationship for Europe in a broad sense, focusing on the impact of the EU’s new commitment to strategic autonomy on NATO. It suggests that the Trump administration will become increasingly disinterested in continuing to fulfill the role of the “benign hegemon” supporting global institutions, and that this will have major implications for Europe’s security framework.

It argues that the current drive to build a “Europe of Defence” is risky, as is the European belief that global governance may flourish even without US backing. It calls upon Europe’s small and medium-sized countries to assure that the right balance will be struck between more European responsibility for security and defence, and keeping NATO central to all matters military.