Recent weeks have not been filled with optimism for those who believe that Europe will be able to overcome its difficult relationship with US President Donald Trump, Reuters reports.
This week, the US leader sharply criticized German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for his criticism of the war with Iran, calling it “totally ineffective“. Subsequently, the Pentagon announced that it would cut 5,000 of the 36,400 troops stationed in Germany and increase tariffs on cars and trucks from the EU. It is a move that will hit Germany the hardest.
Trump also criticized British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, emphasizing that he “is not Winston Churchill” and threatening to impose “heavy tariffs“ on British imports.
“Trump's Defense Department has floated the idea of punishing NATO allies it sees as not supporting U.S. operations in the war with Iran, including suspending Spain's membership and reviewing U.S. recognition of the Falkland Islands as a British possession,“ Reuters added.
A European diplomat told reporters:
“This is, to put it mildly, troubling.““““We are ready for anything, at any time.“
Meanwhile, a second European diplomat said that former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had a difficult relationship with Trump during his first term, had demonstrated the right approach.
“We have all learned a little bit about how to deal with Trump. You can't react immediately; you have to let the storm die down and firmly defend your position," the diplomat said.
He noted that even those who tried to flatter themselves faced the wrath of the American president.
“Everyone who tried to do this received their share of insults, just like everyone else. Therefore, now everyone understands that flattery doesn't work either,“ the diplomat added.
Despite the fact that many members of the US presidential administration are skeptical of Europe, not all members of Trump's Republican Party support his approach.
“The constant attacks on NATO allies are counterproductive; these comments harm Americans. Two major airports in Germany provide us with excellent access to three continents. “We are shooting ourselves in the foot,” Republican Congressman Don Bacon tweeted on Thursday after Trump threatened to reduce troop levels in Germany.
For his part, Jeffrey Rathke, a former U.S. diplomat who directs the U.S.-German Institute at Johns Hopkins University, stressed that European allies are becoming more assertive in their stance against Trump’s policies, in part due to political pressure at home.
“Merz has become increasingly outspoken in his criticism of the U.S. decision to go to war with Iran.” Clearly, something has changed for the man who, just two months ago, was trying his best to say, “Now is not the time to lecture the United States.” The American war is not something the German public can simply watch from the sidelines. "This is something that concerns them," he said, referring to the war-related rise in energy prices.
Meanwhile, European diplomats say they remain committed to transatlantic ties even as the tectonic plates between Europe and the United States shift, but change is needed.
"The key lesson for us is that we can no longer rely on the status quo after World War II and that we need to be not just a space of soft power, but a space that can be backed up with force," one Western diplomat said, noting that the Europeans are moving quickly to expand their military capabilities.
Earlier, Trump told Congress that the war with Iran was "over." This statement came amid a stalemate in negotiations and an ongoing military blockade of Iran's ports.
“There has been no exchange of fire between the United States and Iran since April 7, 2026. The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026 have ceased“, the US president wrote.
Trump has also reportedly excluded military aid to Ukraine from the 2027 US budget. Specifically, the bill does not provide funding for military aid to Ukraine under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI), one of the key US military assistance programs.