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Transatlantic Relations

All articles tagged with #transatlantic relations

Westalgia: Europe’s Nostalgia for American Security Risks the Future
european-power4 days ago

Westalgia: Europe’s Nostalgia for American Security Risks the Future

Mark Leonard argues that European leaders exhibited “Westalgia” at the Ankara NATO summit by kowtowing to Donald Trump and clinging to a bygone US-led security order, while under-investing in Europe’s own defense and strategic sovereignty. The piece warns that this nostalgia weakens Europe’s credibility and calls for a shift toward greater autonomy and preparedness to handle high‑intensity conflicts without overreliance on the U.S. security umbrella.

Ankara Summit Missed Turning Point: Europe Must Lead NATO
world11 days ago

Ankara Summit Missed Turning Point: Europe Must Lead NATO

POLITICO’s From Across the Pond argues the Ankara NATO summit was a wasted opportunity: a boilerplate declaration, Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric, and no plan for Europe to assume core NATO duties. The piece urges Europe to draft a roadmap to take over defense responsibilities and reduce reliance on the U.S., signaling a shift toward a Europe-led alliance.

Italy shrugs off Trump's meme as U.S.-Italy ties weather the feud
world14 days ago

Italy shrugs off Trump's meme as U.S.-Italy ties weather the feud

Italian ministers sought to quell fallout from Donald Trump's Truth Social meme mocking Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, saying transatlantic relations extend beyond a few statements. Tajani, Crosetto, and Salvini downplayed the incident while Meloni called Trump’s claims 'made up.' With a NATO Ankara summit looming, officials indicate continued U.S.-Italy engagement and anticipate a possible meeting between Meloni and Trump, underscoring that ties remain strong despite the spat.

The Impunity Gap: America’s Decline Reshapes Europe
world15 days ago

The Impunity Gap: America’s Decline Reshapes Europe

An op-ed argues the U.S. faces a mounting accountability crisis (Atlas of Impunity ranks it 117th) while its Western allies stay more accountable; Washington’s America First posture and a transactional view of alliances threaten the postwar order. Europe, long reliant on U.S. guarantees and open markets, is contending with rising illiberalism and populism, aided in part by U.S. funding for think tanks that back nationalist movements. The piece urges Europe to act as a custodian of the order—strengthening its own accountability and resilience, learning from smaller states like Montenegro and Albania—before the transatlantic relationship frays irreparably.

world18 days ago

EU Right-Wing Bloc Seeks ‘Family Therapy’ to Mend Transatlantic Rift

About 20 center-right EU lawmakers from the European Conservatives and Reformists Group visited Washington to mend a frayed relationship with the Trump administration, aiming to explain positions and find common ground on issues like Ukraine, defense spending, and tariffs. They framed the trip as a form of “family therapy” to strengthen cooperation with the White House despite lingering tensions over geopolitics and policy disagreements.

Meloni vs Trump: Italy's delicate balancing act with Washington
world28 days ago

Meloni vs Trump: Italy's delicate balancing act with Washington

Meloni publicly pushed back at Trump after a personal jab, a clash that tightens the spotlight on Italy’s fragile transatlantic ties as she campaigns for re-election. The dispute underscores Rome’s dependence on the U.S. security umbrella and trade links, while the Iran war and shifting U.S. politics tempt Meloni to rebalance toward Europe, even as the broader alliance remains central.

Versailles hosts Trump as Macron pursues a transatlantic reset
world1 month ago

Versailles hosts Trump as Macron pursues a transatlantic reset

French President Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte hosted U.S. President Donald Trump at the Palace of Versailles ahead of a state dinner, in a bid to bolster transatlantic ties amid tensions over tariffs, Ukraine and Iran; Trump praised Versailles as the “real deal” and framed the visit within the G7 diplomacy, with Versailles again serving as a symbolic stage for diplomatic outreach.

NATO’s Perennial Crises, Lasting Unity
world1 month ago

NATO’s Perennial Crises, Lasting Unity

NATO has weathered eight decades of disputes over burden sharing and actions beyond its treaty boundaries, yet endures because allies repeatedly choose shared security over disintegration. The piece traces a pattern of crises—from early spending fights to out‑of‑area interventions—that have rarely produced irreparable rupture, aided by the cost of divorce and the alliance’s core interests. Despite current tensions intensified by Trump-era pressure and the Ukraine war, European defense spending is rising toward the two‑percent target and cohesion persists, with the understanding that abandoning NATO would be costlier than reform.

EU Parliament seals transatlantic trade deal, locking in tariff cuts
world1 month ago

EU Parliament seals transatlantic trade deal, locking in tariff cuts

The European Parliament approved legislation to implement the EU–US trade deal, finalizing tariff removals on most U.S. industrial goods and some European agricultural products after months of delay amid political pressure. The 440-151-50 vote allows the pact to move toward final approval by the Council (expected June 26) and publication in the Official Journal. The agreement includes safeguards: Parliament can suspend if Washington fails to lower steel and aluminum duties by end-2026, and EU tariff concessions expire at the end of 2029, after which the deal’s fate could hinge on political timelines around President Trump’s tenure.

EU Pushes Back Against U.S. 10% Forced-Labor Tariff
world1 month ago

EU Pushes Back Against U.S. 10% Forced-Labor Tariff

The European Commission rejects Washington’s plan to reimpose a 10% tariff on EU goods over alleged gaps in enforcing forced-labor bans, calling the move unjustified even as the U.S. argues Brussels hasn’t fully banished forced-labor imports. The EU notes its own prohibition takes effect in December 2027, while the tariff could jeopardize the Turnberry-truce and upcoming votes; Brussels will study the preliminary findings and continue engaging with Washington as talks proceed at OECD meetings.

Europe hardens NATO strategy against Trump's unpredictable leadership
defense1 month ago

Europe hardens NATO strategy against Trump's unpredictable leadership

Europe is race‑testing ways to shield NATO from Trump‑era unpredictability after mixed U.S. messaging on Poland troop deployments. Washington remains crucial to European security, but European leaders are pushing to bolster own defense capabilities and local procurement to reduce dependence on American weapons, with a NATO summit in Ankara on the horizon and debates over Europe‑leaning procurement and the role of U.S. arms transfers.

EU seals path to US trade pact amid cautious optimism
world2 months ago

EU seals path to US trade pact amid cautious optimism

European leaders clinched a compromise to implement the Turnberry trade pact with the United States, after hours of talks, setting up a final vote in the European Parliament for mid-June. The deal lowers some EU tariffs on U.S. goods while keeping most U.S. tariffs on European exports capped at 15%, a step many leaders herald as stabilizing transatlantic trade, though some lawmakers remain cautious about the terms and U.S. acceptance.

Iran War Tests the US‑EU Bond, Pushing Europe Toward Strategic Autonomy
world2 months ago

Iran War Tests the US‑EU Bond, Pushing Europe Toward Strategic Autonomy

The Iran strikes in 2026 exposed deep fractures in the US–European partnership: Europe resisted U.S. basing demands and warned of imperial overreach, while Washington threatened economic retaliation. Unlike 2003, the current crisis shows Washington seeking less European input, prompting Europe to lean on its own tools — a €90 billion Ukraine debt package, anti-coercion trade options and intensified deterrence planning — signaling that Europe may pursue strategic autonomy even as it remains partially dependent on U.S. security in some areas. The episode echoes past Suez-era lessons but in reverse, suggesting the transatlantic bargain is giving way to a parallel, not a renewed, alliance as Europe recalibrates its role on the world stage.