Foreign Affairs: Europe squandered the time it should have spent building up its own defenses

For decades, the transatlantic alliance has been the bedrock of European security. But today, Europe’s partnership with the United States is at a critical juncture, Foreign Affairs writes.

As noted, with Donald Trump’s return to the White House, there is a genuine risk that U.S. engagement in Europe could drop precipitously. If the United States halts its military aid to Kyiv, the consequences will be profound, both for the war in Ukraine and for the rest of Europe’s defenses against external threats.

“Although Trump’s second term will most likely usher in a radical break from previous U.S. policy, the reality is that discontent with the European contribution to the transatlantic relationship has been simmering in the United States for years. Europe, however, squandered the time it should have spent investing more heavily into the relationship—including by building up its own defenses,” reads the article.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 should have been the final wake-up call, creating real momentum behind Europe’s effort to become a credible security actor in its own right. Instead, once again, it relied on the United States to take the lead in a European war. Now, that fallback option is at risk of disappearing, and European leaders cannot simply shift the blame for their predicament to Washington.

“European leaders must act decisively to advance a unified strategy to ensure the continent’s peace and stability. They must quickly ramp up their economic and military support for Ukraine, begin a serious effort to create an integrated European defense industry, and demonstrate to the United States that Europe is prepared to hold up its side of a mutually beneficial partnership. From now on, Europe’s security will have to be European—or it won’t exist at all,” Foreign Affairs writes.