Ekaterina Girnyk11:33, 24.01.26

Europe faces a difficult choice: disobedience or submission

Since Trump threatened tariffs last Saturday to seize Greenland , his defiant behavior has left no doubt in the West that the norms of the old world order have been cast aside. As CNN reports , a more brutal and lawless order has emerged instead, where the loudest and strongest prevail, and the unshakable transatlantic trust has vanished.

“This is a new reality that has been created. A reality that is very often unstable,” a senior EU diplomat told reporters on Thursday.

Finally, it has dawned on Europe that the United States is no longer the friend and reliable ally it once was, the publication notes.

“If you move forward with Greenland, no one will believe the US will be willing to defend Estonia,” one EU diplomat told CNN.

A New Path

In the face of Trump’s ambitions, Europe faces a difficult choice: defiance or submission, the article notes:

“Discussions with EU diplomats showed that Europeans have finally united around the need for independence from the whims of the White House, particularly on defense matters. And for some, this also means abandoning the flattery and attempts to ‘whisper to Trump’ that have defined Europe’s approach to the US in 2025.”

Last year, there was a convergence of positions in Europe regarding coordinated funding of European defense, with an emphasis on purchasing European goods, which is crucial for European industrial progress. However, although one European Commissioner raised the idea of ​​creating an official EU army or a Security Council, few are yet ready for this level of integration.

Clinging to old ways

American military and economic power wields considerable weight in Europe, and the continent is not yet ready to confront a protracted conflict with Russia alone. As a result, some politicians remain wary of turning Trump into an enemy.

“Instead of focusing on the emotional side of the dilemmas presented by the White House, we should focus on the military, technical side, identifying common pragmatic problems and solving them,” former Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakaliienė told CNN, adding that it would take Europe five to 10 years to match US military power on the continent.

“The key word should be cooperation, not confrontation,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda told reporters. “The United States remains our closest friend.”

Trump and Europe – news

As UNIAN reported, on January 22, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, US President Donald Trump officially  launched  the Gaza Peace Council. The US President believes this body will also address other regions of the world.

However, the leaders and representatives of fewer than 20 countries attended the inauguration ceremony of this body. Specifically, only Hungary and Bulgaria represented Europe.

(c)UNIAN 2026