EDITOR'S CORNER: America Has Really Abandoned Europe

The United States’ 2025 National Security Strategy was published on December 4th. It sets out the priorities of the U.S. government for the upcoming administration, its main goals, strategic direction, and expectations for global partners, as well as how it intends to position itself on the world stage. It is a critical document that U.S. allies look to in order to understand how to navigate their relationships with an increasingly unpredictable Trump administration.

Unfortunately, despite its significance, this 30 page document falls short. It presents a deeply insular “America First” approach, combined with the assertion that the United States can intervene anywhere it deems necessary in the name of “protecting the interests of the American people.” In practical terms, this means asserting authority over other nations’ governments, laws, and internal affairs whenever Washington labels something a threat.

In this blog post, I will break down the strategy, focusing especially on what it means for Europe.

 THE US NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY AT A GLANCE

The 2025 National Security Strategy marks a decisive shift in how Washington views its role in the world. It argues that the United States should prioritize what directly benefits Americans, rather than trying to manage global affairs or reshape other nations politically. Gone is the language of defending democracy everywhere or acting as a global stabilizing force. Instead, the emphasis is squarely on protecting core U.S. interests, economic strength, and national borders. The message is clear: America must rebuild at home, be far more selective abroad, and accept that its influence has limits.

Within this new framework, the Western Hemisphere becomes the top strategic focus. Washington aims to block other major powers, especially China, from gaining influence in the Americas, while aggressively addressing issues such as migration, organized crime, and foreign investment deemed harmful to U.S. security. In Asia, competition with China remains, but the strategy centers on strengthening American industries and supply chains rather than ideological confrontation. Support for allies continues, though only in ways that avoid costly wars or open ended commitments.

Europe, however, receives an unmistakable warning. U.S. protection can no longer be taken for granted. The strategy demands that European governments dramatically increase defense spending, rely less on the United States, and rethink security structures like NATO expansion that Washington no longer views as inherently beneficial. In other regions such as the Middle East and Africa, U.S. involvement is defined almost entirely by practical concerns like energy security and countering threats with direct impact on American interests.

This repositioning has sparked fierce debate. Critics warn that turning inward will weaken longstanding alliances and allow global threats to grow until they inevitably reach the United States. Supporters argue that it is a long overdue correction that will end unsustainable overreach and restore national resilience. In essence, the 2025 strategy abandons the idea that America must lead everywhere and embraces the belief that it will lead only where it must and only when the benefits to the American people are undeniable.

EUROPE IS IN TROUBLE

The 2025 National Security Strategy paints a bleak picture of Europe. It argues that the continent is grappling with serious economic, demographic, and political challenges that undermine its ability to defend itself or remain competitive globally. According to the document, Europe faces deep identity and governance issues tied to heavily regulated economies and the centralizing tendencies of the European Union.

From this perspective, Washington insists that Europe must assume far more responsibility for its own security rather than continue relying on the United States as a guaranteed shield. The strategy explicitly pushes back against further NATO expansion and calls for European governments to invest significantly more in defense. It also shifts the American role from that of unwavering protector to something more detached and transactional, even hinting at the possibility of engaging with Russia as part of regional security management.

Not surprisingly, European leaders have responded with alarm. The strategy not only reduces the assurance of U.S. support but also signals openness to political movements that challenge current EU leadership. Several officials have described it as a brutal awakening to where Europe truly stands in Washington’s priorities, warning that it could weaken alliances and fuel deeper political fractures within the continent.

MY OPINION

After reading the strategy, I was far from impressed. The document is surprisingly simple, extremely short, and almost superficial in its substance. For a publication that is supposed to guide how the United States engages with the rest of the world, the lack of depth is troubling. Key security concerns are barely addressed. North Korea, for example, does not receive a meaningful mention, even though its nuclear arsenal has only grown since the previous Trump administration, when it was considered a major threat.

What stands out most is the openly hostile stance toward Europe. Yes, Europe has its challenges, as every region does, but the suggestion that the continent is facing some sort of civilizational decline driven by failing democracy and demographic change is both inaccurate and inflammatory. European nations are not in need of right wing populists to fix imaginary cultural crises, and there is certainly no legitimacy to the idea of “protecting identity” through nationalist policies targeting immigrants. These claims have nothing to do with a serious security strategy. The document also goes out of its way to portray the European Union as a liability. I am the first to acknowledge that the EU is not perfect, yet it remains one of the most successful multilateral projects in history, creating stability, prosperity, and freedoms that many Americans themselves would envy.

One line in particular was alarming: “Ending the perception, and preventing the reality, of NATO as a perpetually expanding alliance.” This language could have been lifted directly from Moscow’s talking points. No democratic nation views NATO expansion as some aggressive policy imposed on others. Nations join because they seek security and sovereignty, and that right is fundamental. The only state that objects to NATO enlargement is Russia, precisely because Russian aggression becomes much harder when its neighbors are protected by a strong defensive alliance.

Lastly, the notion of normalizing relations with Russia in the foreseeable future is deeply misguided. There can be no return to business as usual while Russia continues to invade, threaten, and destabilize its neighbors. Any belief that one can simply reset relations with Vladimir Putin without consequences is dangerously naive. Until Russia demonstrates genuine respect for international law and the sovereignty of others, it cannot be treated as a normal partner.

CONCLUSION

Taken together, the 2025 National Security Strategy reveals a United States that is turning inward, narrowing its commitments, and treating long standing partners with suspicion rather than solidarity. It offers a worldview driven less by cooperation and shared values, and more by transactional interests and domestic political narratives. The absence of serious discussion about global threats like North Korea, alongside the willingness to echo rhetoric used by authoritarian regimes, should concern anyone who believes in a stable and rules based international order. Allies depend on clarity and dependability. Instead, they are asked to adapt to uncertainty.

Europe in particular is forced to confront a harsher reality. Washington no longer sees itself as the reliable guarantor of European security, and it is willing to undermine institutions and political stability on the continent to suit its own agenda. For Europe, this is both a warning and a call to action. We must strengthen our defenses, reaffirm our democratic values, and stand firmly against those who would divide or weaken us. The world is shifting, but that makes it even more essential that Europe remains united, confident, and prepared to take responsibility for its own future.