Marta Gichko11:17, 08.03.25

The question remains how far Russia’s sympathy for Trump and his rejection of traditional allies will go.

Europe is in emotional shock and is anticipating the beginning of a new era amid geopolitical changes in the world, writes The New York Times.

For decades, the Soviet Union sought to “detach” the United States from Europe. This decoupling was intended to break the Western alliance that had held back Soviet military expansion in Europe.

But now, a few weeks later, US President Donald Trump has given Moscow a gift it never received during or after the Cold War.

The publication writes that Europe is puzzled and shocked. The United States, a country that stood for freedom and the defense of democracy against tyranny, has turned its back on its allies, instead supporting the authoritarian regime of Russian ruler Vladimir Putin. The continent is gripped by a sense of abandonment, an awareness of the urgent need for rearmament and shock over the change in American ideology.

“The United States was the pillar around which the world was built, but it has changed the alliance,” said Valerie Haer, president of the centrist Rebuild Europe group in the European Parliament. “Trump is speaking Putin’s propaganda. We have entered a new era.”

The West is empty

The emotional impact on Europe is enormous. From the ruins of 1945 to a prosperous and free continent, America played a key role. John F. Kennedy’s “Ich bin ein Berliner” speech in 1963 became a symbol of support for freedom, and Ronald Reagan demanded in 1987: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

But the meaning of “the West” is now in question. What was once a single strategic bloc, united by liberal democratic values, has disintegrated. There are now separate players: Europe, Russia, China, and the United States. The West as a concept is empty. How this vacuum will be filled is unknown, but a possible scenario includes increased violence between the great powers.

Trump is known for his impulsiveness, though his nationalist and autocratic tendencies are consistent. In 2017, while in Poland, he declared: “Today I say for the world to hear that the West will never, ever be broken. Our values ​​will prevail.” But he has since reversed course, breaking away from the traditional Republican establishment.

Europe must determine what in Trump’s actions is tactical maneuvering and what is a long-term US reorientation towards authoritarianism.

After a row with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom Trump accused of not being grateful enough for military aid, he agreed to negotiate with Ukraine and threatened new sanctions against Russia. This may partly alleviate the situation, but does not solve the deeper problem: the war provoked by Russia continues.

“Whatever Trump’s adjustments, the biggest danger would be to challenge his abandonment of liberal democracies,” says Nicole Bacharan, a political scientist at Sciences Po University in Paris. “The only realistic position for Europe is to ask: what do we have as a military force and how can we urgently integrate and grow that force?”

How is Europe reacting?

French President Emmanuel Macron warned of “irreversible changes” in relations with the US and called for a stronger European army. He proposed extending France’s nuclear umbrella to allies and stressed that “peace cannot be the capitulation of Ukraine.”

The situation is particularly tense in Germany. The country, which was created with US support after World War II, is now forced to rethink its security policy. Christoph Heusgen, chairman of the Munich Security Conference, broke down in tears as he commented on the decline of the post-war world order.

“It was a terrible spectacle,” said French political scientist Jacques Rupnik. “Europe must step up now to fight for democracy.”

Particularly painful for Germans is the idea that America, which helped defeat Hitler, is now leaning toward the far right, particularly the Nazi-leaning AfD, which has become Germany’s second-largest party.

Germany’s new conservative chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said: “My absolute priority will be to strengthen Europe as quickly as possible so that step by step we can truly achieve independence from the United States.” Germany is also considering expanding France’s nuclear deterrent and increasing defense spending.

European governments have come to see Trump as a symptom of a broader trend, not an exception. He has the backing of Europe’s anti-immigrant far-right nationalists. He is part of a new era of autocrats who seek to destroy postwar institutions and alliances.

Point of no return?

“The alliance is at a very painful point, but I wouldn’t call it a point of no return, at least not yet,” said Xenia Wickett, a London-based consultant and former National Security Council official.

Where is this new policy heading? Trump’s approach to Putin could trigger new waves of aggression. Russia sees Ukraine as part of a broader strategy to destabilize NATO and the EU. Together with China, North Korea and Iran, Moscow seeks to end Western dominance.

“The Americans must understand that they are in Putin’s line of fire: to de-Westernize the world, to end American hegemony, to end the dollar’s dominant place in the world economy,” writes former French ambassador to Moscow Pierre Levy.

For now, Trump is not worried. Europe will have to respond to the challenges on its own.

“When we wake up, our hearts are broken,” concludes Nicole Bacharan.

(c)UNIAN 2025