How the US is Causing Europe to Redefine its Future

The United States was the hub of the western world in the aftermath of the cold war.

In more than 70 years, Europe, kept under the American military might and economic domination, turned into the ideal representation of the liberal world order.

The belief that the security and prosperity of Europe was safe with the United States acting as the factual guarantor of stability as well as peace brought in a predictable geopolitical order that made the world order after World War II almost feel permanent.

Stability is, however, being shaken today. And the US with a combination of transactional diplomacy, varying military interests, and unilateral economic policies has accidentally invited Europe to reconsider its alliances and, maybe, its place in the world order.

This reality started to emerge during the America First doctrine of the current president, Donald Trump, but the most significant changes are taking place in 2026.

 The United States' deeds and words, with most being a direct attack on the backbone of the transatlantic alliance, have caused Europe to become increasingly disillusioned by its dependence on the United States.

There is a new geo-political fault line being drawn: It is one that does not only question the security architecture of the North Atlantic but also the very concept of a US commitment to European interests not to waver.

The change came to a point when President Trump pointed out in late 2025 that the United States ought to annex Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory.

Although Denmark rejected this territorial claim, it did represent a larger pattern in US politics one where the relationship between the two is seen as transactional and where the alliances are expected to meet the strategic needs of America and not to be based on mutual benefit. 

Combined with threats of tariffs and sanctions against European nations, especially those that oppose American policy on matters such as climate change and military expenditures, it is obvious that America does not feel obliged to the spirit of cooperation and  multilateral agreements that used to characterise its foreign policy.

The effect of this cruel twist was supported by the fact that the US was still involved in military interventions, both in the Middle East and Latin America, and it had been gaining an increasingly aggressive attitude towards Iran, Venezuela, and others, without consulting or collaborating with European powers.

Europe no longer regards the US as the stable power it once was, and the matter has become increasingly critical. European leaders, who were once accustomed to following Washington’s lead, are now reassessing their dependence on American security.

The rhetoric from European leaders is shifting. At the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, French President Emmanuel Macron made it clear that Europe could no longer be at the mercy of Washington’s whims.

He urged Europe to stand up for itself, take its own decisions, and not be intimidated by the “bullies” of American hegemony.

In contrast, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz took a more diplomatic stance, advocating for giving the transatlantic relationship another chance. He suggested pursuing a new approach to US-Europe relations, calling for a recalibration of the alliance and greater emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy between the two sides.

It is not entirely the aggressive postures of the US that have led to this fundamental change in European thought. It is also an upshot of a wider understanding that the security and economic future of Europe can no longer be pegged on a nation that is more and more inclined to look at its alliances in terms of short-term, self-interested profit. The long-held conviction by the Americans that Europe is safe against external aggression is no longer the certainty, and the uncertainty is prompting Europe to think even more about its future, not only in terms of security but also in the context of sovereignty.

The collective reaction to the US stand on Greenland perhaps was the most vivid illustration of this new awakening in geopolitics by Europe. Rather than just criticising the threat, the leaders of Europe had made co-ordinated statements that Europe was sovereign and had strategic interests.

It was also not merely a defence of territorial integrity but an indirect attack on U.S. unilateralism. With the strains between the United States and Europe growing, Europe needs to consider the following: being that the United States is no longer the stabilising force it once was, what does that leave Europe?

The answer to these questions in Europe is complex. Not the transatlantic alliance in its entirety is to be rejected, but it needs to be put back in balance to represent the truth of the current geopolitical situation.

One of the most important features of this recalibration is the increased concern about the strategic autonomy of Europe a concept that has become increasingly popular over the last several years but has acquired a new urgency. The EU programs like the Readiness 2030 defence initiative, which requires an EUR800 billion investment in the defence systems in Europe, are meant to decrease the reliance of the EU on NATO and US military assistance. 

Simultaneously, the growing collaborations with China and other rising powers by the EU will provide the Europeans with a chance to diversify their partnerships and mitigate their risks to the outside influences. These actions, though tentative, are an indication that Europe is willing to emerge out of the umbrella of American influence and build a more self-reliant, independent future.

Meanwhile, the US has not given up its leadership position in Europe. NATO is still a significant component of the European security system, and the US is the strongest military ally of Europe. However, the actions of the US in recent years indicate that such an alliance should not be treated as a given.

The US has ensured that Europe understands it needs to be more responsible for its own defence, and this has echoed throughout the continent. The European countries are planning ways to reinforce their own defence system, not just to confront the threat of Russia but also to establish their autonomy in a world that is increasingly questioning the US supremacy.

It is interesting to point out that the reconsideration of the US place in Europe is not based on the reaction against the US itself. Instead, it is a path that Europe has to take in order to stamp its authority in a multipolar world. The relationship that Europe has been dependent on with the United States has been prolonged too long, and the dangers of the further course have become too evident. Europe that is more integrated, technologically obsequious and strategically independent will be in a better position to face the 21st-century challenges, however they are going to be East or West.

The US has accidentally left a vacuum that Europe has been taking advantage of to establish itself as a geopolitical power. Europe does not have to remain hooked to the shackles of the dependency that was the Cold War, but now, it can move in its own direction and make new alliances and address what concerns it.

The question is; however, Would Europe take this opportunity and accept the challenges of the future, or is it going to cling to American leadership even when the latter becomes more uncertain?

With the balance of power in the world still shifting, with each and every step that Europe takes, its course will not only lead to its own future but also the future of the very system, the international system. The fact that Europe has discovered a voice under this new order can arguably be the clue to creating a more stable and prosperous world going forward.

Naziba Mustabshira is the co-founder and Editor-in-chief of DhakaThinks, Bangladesh’s first youth-led think tank. 

Arman Ahmed is the Founder and President of DhakaThinks, Bangladesh’s first youth-led think tank.