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.