Foreign Affairs | Matthias Matthijs and Nathalie Tocci
Donald Trump's second term, marked by aggressive policies like threatening Greenland, withdrawing support for Ukraine, and instigating an Iran war, has inadvertently galvanized European unity and accelerated its pursuit of strategic autonomy. Initially, European nations attempted appeasement, but Trump's escalating overreach, including a surgical strike on Venezuela and insults to the Pope, made him politically toxic among most European voters. This shift prompted Europe to enhance its collective defense, exemplified by joint military exercises in Greenland and increased financial and military aid to Ukraine, despite initial far-right opposition. The EU is also rebuilding its defense industrial base with a $175 billion financing program and actively forging new trade agreements with partners like India, Australia, and Mercosur to reduce dependence on the United States and mitigate Chinese coercion. Furthermore, the Iran war-induced energy crisis has underscored the security imperative of accelerating Europe's clean energy transition, leading to policy changes aimed at making electricity cheaper than fossil fuels.
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