By Gregoire Lory
Published on 23/09/2025 -EURONEWS
According to a study published on Tuesday by the European Council on Foreign Relations, US President Donald Trump is trying to impose his political views on his European allies.
US President Donald Trump is seeking to impose his agenda and political programme on Europeans, according to a report published Tuesday by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).
According to the study's author, Pawel Zerka, the US leader is utilising various channels to reorient the transatlantic relationship along the lines of his conservative values and discourse on freedom of expression.
These are not all political disputes, but the visible part of a "culture war", according to Zerka.
"I don't think anyone will question the fact that this administration is trying to interfere in the domestic politics of EU member states and that if Donald Trump were to succeed on this front, it would allow the ideological centre of European politics to shift to the right and towards the issue that Donald Trump considers crucial for today's democracies," Zerka said.
Zerka cites the US Vice President JD Vance's speech earlier this year at the Munich Security Conference. Vance's remarks set the tone for the ideological debate that Washington seeks to frame, according to Zerka, referencing the decline in freedom of expression on the European continent and the growing gulf between values on either side of the Atlantic.
According to the ECFR report, the confrontation is exacerbated by a backdrop of political "humiliation" of Europe.
"I think that it is of course the European leaders, governments and institutions that have left a lot of room for humiliation," explained Zerka.
"Whether it's tariffs, the tariff war with the United States, the NATO summit and the question of increasing defence spending, or the way European leaders are treated in the peace negotiations over Ukraine, where they practically have to knock on the door to be listened to, otherwise they're not in the room," he added.
These tensions, provoked by the White House, are pushing EU leaders to react rather than set their own agenda, the document suggests.
Sentiment in favour of the EU
However, the analysis stressed that European sentiment remains strong despite the political blows dealt by Washington. According to the latest data published by Eurostat, 52% of citizens have confidence in the common project, the highest level since 2007.
For Zerka, there are forces on which the EU can build, especially as European expectations have also evolved.
"In many places where people used to see the EU mainly as an economic entity, a trading bloc, a market, they have begun to realise that Europe plays an important role in terms of geopolitics, relations with other world powers, but also in terms of defending democratic values that are under threat both outside and inside Europe," he said.
The author of the report called on European leaders to step out of their comfort zone and build strategic autonomy in defence, technology and energy policy, and to complete the single market.
But the analysis underlined that the EU is far from united. The US president has political connections in Europe through the leaders of Hungary, Italy and Slovakia, Zerka pointed out.
US President Donald Trump. Photo Credit: POTUS, X
Allies Are Distancing From Trump – OpEd
By Patial RC
President Trump’s foreign policy, rooted in his “America First” agenda, has increasingly distanced the United States from its traditional allies. Driven as much by personal ambition—including his fixation on securing a Nobel Peace Prize.
Trump approaches international relations through instinct and transactional deal-making, reminiscent of his book The Art of the Deal. He views diplomacy less as a system of alliances and shared values than as a series of business negotiations measured in costs and profit benefits as a hard-core businessman that he is. This approach led him to impose tariffs not only on adversaries but also on long-standing allies such as European Union, Canada, China, India and Brazil sparking unilateral trade conflicts.
As a result, trust in American leadership has eroded, particularly on sensitive issues such as Palestine, where countries like the UK, France, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Spain, Ireland, and Norway have begun to take positions at odds with Washington, with others likely to follow defying US and Israel.
The broader consequence is that US allies are recalibrating their relationships and reassessing their reliance on American protection. While this distancing does not always mean outright abandonment, it reflects a growing wariness of Trump’s unpredictable style and the realization that US commitments can no longer be taken for granted. Rather than unquestioned loyalty to Washington, many nations are now hedging, diversifying partnerships, and exploring alternatives in an emerging multipolar world order where U.S. hegemony no longer feels as secure or inevitable.
Allies Are Reassessing Their Ties Under Trump
- “America First” with Unpredictability. Trump’s foreign policy emphasizes US interests first, sometimes sharply, even at the cost of traditional alliances. Allies often find it hard to anticipate American responses or know whether Washington will live up to commitments.
- Reduced Reliability and Trust Issues. There’s growing perception among allies that the US is becoming less dependable, whether on security guarantees, trade deals, diplomatic engagements, or international treaties. Fear that the US might pull out of agreements, reverse course, or abdicate roles it previously took responsibility for.
- Altered diplomatic and International Aids. Cuts to foreign aid, agency budgets, diplomatic staffing changes, and shifts in how the U.S. conducts its foreign policy (e.g. more centralization, fewer multilateral institutions) make it harder for other countries to engage predictably. Some embassies or institutional bureaus are less functional or without clear leadership.
- Trade Wars and Economic Pressures. Tariffs, trade sanctions, trade policies that seem transactional or adversarial are making allies question whether the U.S. remains a partner with shared interests. Many are seeking to reduce dependence on U.S. markets or protection.
- Strategic Autonomy Among Allies. Because of the above, allies (particularly in Europe, parts of Asia) are increasingly exploring how to be more self-reliant: in defense, trade, supply chains, diplomatic capabilities, etc. Some are turning to other powers (notably China) or regional partnerships to reduce risk from unexpected US policy shifts.
- Isolation in Multilateral Settings. Moves like withdrawing from treaties or international agreements, being more unilateral in key foreign policy decisions (e.g., aligning with certain states or shifting away from traditional international consensus) mean the US sometimes ends up alone. That undercuts its ability to lead, and allies are uncomfortable being in positions where they must publicly oppose or are on the opposite side of global votes.
Regions Distancing Trump
EU-NATO.Trump repeatedly questioned NATO’s value, even threatening that the US might not defend members who weren’t spending “enough” on defense. This scared smaller NATO states and angered larger ones.EU Tensions: Trump openly criticized the EU, praised Brexit, and treated the EU as a trade rival instead of a partner.
Germany and France began pushing for European strategic autonomy in defense and diplomacy. Eastern Europeans invested more in defense but also sought stronger bilateral ties with the US in case NATO faltered.EU accelerated efforts for independent defense initiatives – European Defence Fund.
Japan and South Korea: Trump demanded higher payments for US troop presence, calling alliances “too costly.” Questioned whether the US would defend them against North Korea and China without greater compensation. Caused anxiety that US deterrence might not hold.
Southeast Asia: Trump’s withdrawal from the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) left the field open for China to shape trade rules. Allies like Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore leaned more toward Beijing economically.
Australia: Still aligned with the US militarily but hedged with trade ties to China (its largest trading partner).
Middle East: Trump strengthened ties with Israel and Gulf monarchies (Saudi Arabia, UAE). But he also abandoned the Iran nuclear deal without consulting European or regional allies, undermining trust.
Latin America: Focus on Immigration & Sanctions: Trump prioritized border security and migration crackdowns, often straining relations with Mexico and Central America.Imposed heavy sanctions on Venezuela and Cuba, which some Latin American governments opposed.
Africa: Trump was less engaged with Africa compared to past administrations. Controversial remarks about “shithole countries” alienated African leaders. Reductions in aid and diplomacy left partners questioning US reliability. Many African nations expanded cooperation with China (Belt and Road projects) and Russia (security/military deals). Egypt: Expanded arms purchases from Russia.
Asia: Philippines (Duterte era): Threatened to “separate” from US and strengthened ties with China, though later backtracked.
Southeast Asia: Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia leaned into Chinese trade deals after US left TPP.
Multipolar World on the Horizon
Some European NATO members are worried about reduced US engagement in European security and are increasing their own defense spending. Countries in Asia and others are hedging by strengthening economic ties with China as a kind of fallback. Cutbacks in foreign aid and programs have left long-standing partners feeling abandoned.
Trump’s confrontational rhetoric speech at the UNGA is unlikely to mend strained relationships with key allies and may instead deepen divisions within the international community. By prioritizing unilateralism and nationalist appeals over cooperation, the US risks eroding trust among long-standing partners who view collective diplomacy as essential to addressing global challenges. As allies grow increasingly wary, US could find itself more isolated on the world stage, with diminished leverage to shape international policies towards a stronger Multipolar World with China and India taking the lead and yet a larger stronger BRICS.
Patial RC
Patial RC is a retired Infantry officer of the Indian Army and possesses unique experience of serving in active CI Ops across the country and in Sri Lanka. Patial RC is a regular writer on military and travel matters in military professional journals. The veteran is a keen mountaineer and a trekker.
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