U.S. President Trump, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg and German Chancellor Merkel gather with NATO member leaders to pose for a family picture before the start of their summit in Brussels. Thomson Reuters
USA Today: America is on the brink of a historic break with Europe, thanks to Trump
Foreign service officers like me saw ourselves as guardians of this vital alliance. But Trump isn't interested in leading it or writing its next chapter.
The Trump administration’s newly unveiled national security strategy lists reinforcing America’s alliances as a major objective. Yet in the first year of his embattled presidency, Donald Trump has so undermined our ties to Europe that we could be on the verge of a break in the seven-decade trans-Atlantic alliance.
Trump is the first U.S. president since World War II who does not seem to consider himself the leader of the democratic West. His populist America First platform has opened deep fissures in his relations with European leaders.
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WNU Editor: I do not see a historic break happening between the U.S. and Europe .... far from it. What I see is a U.S. President asking its allies to fulfill their promises on defense spending, and they in turn making it clear that they do not like to be lectured by President Trump. As to the other issues that divide the U.S. and Europe .... open borders, terrorism, climate change, tax and economic policies .... Europe itself is deeply divided on these issues, and blaming President Trump for this mess even though he has been in office for less than a year is a stretch.
