By Kenneth Henry
February’s meeting with Trump and Zelensky was indeed historic, an alley of the US has never been so publicly humiliated in the Oval Office; Trump and Vance’s potentially premeditated attack on Zelensky is the latest of attacks on America’s allies by Donald Trump. Europe, in particular, has been a punching bag for Donald Trump since he first became president. However, the tone of the Trump administration has changed significantly since his second term started; most notable are his calls for the US to leave NATO. This, of course, is a cause of great concern for Europe. The US has been a long-standing supporter of Europe, particularly in the context of Russia, and the loss of this support would be a significant setback for European security, particularly given the current situation in Ukraine.
However, Trump’s loathing of Europe arguably damages the US more so. Europe and Canada have supported the US in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. In Afghanistan, approximately 800 soldiers from Europe and Canada died fighting alongside America after it was attacked on 9/11; many of those soldiers came from countries that were not attacked by Al-Qaeda, such as France or Germany. Alongside the loss of life, those countries invested tens of Billions of in those wars. Ultimately, without the support that America got from its allies, the war in Afghanistan would be immensely more costly and bloody for the US. Of course, it’s not just Afghanistan; US allies have provided immense support to the US, both intelligence and military, in various parts of the world.
Trump’s attitude risks eroding that support, support which the US can not replace. America’s allies in Asia, such as Japan and South Korea, are far too preoccupied with their regional problems, and Australia and New Zealand certainly can not match the level of support given by the entire continent of Europe, even if Trump doesn’t alienate them as well.
The risk of the US getting attacked on the scale of 9/11 is low. However, threats do exist. Recently, a plot was discovered by US authorities that Iran had plans to kill Donald Trump, and the situation in the rest of the Middle East means there is no time for the US to alienate the countries to provide the US with vital intelligence support.
On the other hand, Europe can replace America’s military support with its own defence. Europe’s investment in defence may be low, but it has vast potential. European weapons and aircraft manufacturing capabilities are enormous, and the right investment can fill the gap left by the US.