Some European leaders seem to think that abasing themselves for Donald Trump’s pleasure is necessary to save NATO and keep the Western alliance alive. But by so desperately clinging to the good old days of the transatlantic relationship, Europe’s leaders are risking more than just their dignity
The new defence investment plan is weighed down by the habits of Britain’s defence establishment. By contrast, the British public appear readier to accept change
The special relationship has rarely felt so lacking in speciality. Donald Trump imposes tariffs at a whim, starts wars of choice without consultation, demands UK military participation in them, and then threatens abandonment if he doesn’t get it; some days all before lunch. All this upset has caused many in the UK and beyond to…
While the war with Iran continues to escalate, Donald Trump is still set to visit China with which the stakes extend from tariffs and intensifying geopolitical rivalry. Under its latest 5-year plan, Beijing is doubling down on a centralised, export-dominated system that will intensify competition with both the US and Europe. Trump and Xi…
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United States is focused on doing business, at the expense of peace. There are ways for Europeans to acquire a veto over these destabilising activities; but the Trump administration may yet replicate this approach across the globe
Donald Trump is in Beijing, but Europeans should not expect decisive guidance or a grand bargain with Xi Jinping. They should instead focus on managing their own exposure to Chinese risks
As Trump digs his heels into a war with Iran, he faces a growing list of domestic pressures. Europeans can press on these points to push Washington towards a ceasefire
Donald Trump’s economic development plan for Gaza highlights the president’s preference for real estate over rights. Europeans and Arab states need to help Palestinians chart their own future
Israel is agitating for US strikes against Iran, while preparing for renewed war in Lebanon. Europeans should work to contain Trump and Netanyahu to prevent renewed offensives in both arenas, while supporting Lebanon’s fragile governance
Greenland has long played a strategic role in Western defence and missile warning systems. Now Trump’s “Golden Dome” plan offers an opportunity for US-Europe cooperation to boost Arctic security and nuclear deterrence
A major new ECFR poll shows how, six months in, the US president is reshaping European politics and the continent’s geopolitical identity
Some European leaders seem to think that abasing themselves for Donald Trump’s pleasure is necessary to save NATO and keep the Western alliance alive. But by so desperately clinging to the good old days of the transatlantic relationship, Europe’s leaders are risking more than just their dignity
The new defence investment plan is weighed down by the habits of Britain’s defence establishment. By contrast, the British public appear readier to accept change
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the United States is focused on doing business, at the expense of peace. There are ways for Europeans to acquire a veto over these destabilising activities; but the Trump administration may yet replicate this approach across the globe
Donald Trump is in Beijing, but Europeans should not expect decisive guidance or a grand bargain with Xi Jinping. They should instead focus on managing their own exposure to Chinese risks
As Trump digs his heels into a war with Iran, he faces a growing list of domestic pressures. Europeans can press on these points to push Washington towards a ceasefire
Donald Trump’s economic development plan for Gaza highlights the president’s preference for real estate over rights. Europeans and Arab states need to help Palestinians chart their own future
Israel is agitating for US strikes against Iran, while preparing for renewed war in Lebanon. Europeans should work to contain Trump and Netanyahu to prevent renewed offensives in both arenas, while supporting Lebanon’s fragile governance
Greenland has long played a strategic role in Western defence and missile warning systems. Now Trump’s “Golden Dome” plan offers an opportunity for US-Europe cooperation to boost Arctic security and nuclear deterrence
The US is locked in a cat-and-mouse game of escalation with Iran. Europeans should work with partners in the Middle East to restrain Trump’s military attacks, prevent broader war and pursue measures to protect against the fates that befell Libya and Syria
Beyond showcasing Donald Trump’s “neo-royalist” style of politics, this year’s annual gathering of the global elite in Davos revealed deeper, structural changes that will shape political and business leaders’ decision-making for years to come. Europeans, in particular, must absorb the right lessons
Mark Leonard welcomes Jeremy Shapiro and Nacho Torreblanca to discuss what Donald Trump’s capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro means for the world
Mark Leonard welcomes Jeremy Shapiro to discuss the US millitary engagement in Venezuela and Trump’s broader defence strategy
Mark Leonard welcomes Oren Cass to discuss the Republicans’ turn away from neoliberalism to embracing the working class
Mark Leonard welcomes Célia Belin to discuss how Europe can respond to Donald Trump’s vision of a transformed transatlantic order
Mark Leonard welcomes Camille Grand and Janka Oertel to unpack Taiwan’s strategic calculus amid rising global tensions, and Europe’s role in the Indo-Pacific
In Munich, Mark Leonard welcomes Ulrike Franke, Camille Grand, Janka Oertel and Jana Puglierin to unpack this year’s security conference
Mark Leonard welcomes Camille Lons, Marta Prochwicz Jazowska, Jana Puglierin, José Ignacio Torreblanca and Arturo Varvelli to discuss how European capitals are responding to Trump’s dramatic return to the White House
The special relationship has rarely felt so lacking in speciality. Donald Trump imposes tariffs at a whim, starts wars of choice without consultation, demands UK military participation in them, and then threatens abandonment if he doesn’t get it; some days all before lunch. All this upset has caused many in the UK and beyond to…
While the war with Iran continues to escalate, Donald Trump is still set to visit China with which the stakes extend from tariffs and intensifying geopolitical rivalry. Under its latest 5-year plan, Beijing is doubling down on a centralised, export-dominated system that will intensify competition with both the US and Europe. Trump and Xi…
Since the return of U.S. President Donald Trump to the White House in January, European policymakers have been struggling to sketch a sensible response to Trumponomics – an unpredictable, fast-changing and often baffling mix of U.S. trade, investment and finance policies that have a direct impact on Europe’s interests. In her latest ECFR policy brief,…
Europe today finds itself facing unprecedented global challenges and surrounded by transactional powers. Donald Trump is poised to redefine the global role of the US – revisiting alliances, challenging NATO, and treating security and trade alike as bargaining chips. China is pressing its advantage in technology, infrastructure, and diplomacy, asking Europeans to choose between principles…
La Unión Europea se encuentra en una coyuntura crítica. La segunda administración Trump ha intensificado la presión comercial sobre Europa con nuevos aranceles y una agenda abiertamente proteccionista. Mientras, China está aprovechando su capacidad industrial y el control sobre minerales estratégicos y tierras raras para reforzar su influencia. En este contexto de…
It’s no longer just about trade or NATO — Trump’s America is challenging Europe’s very values and identity. It is backing like-minded allies across the EU, questioning Europe’s attachment to freedom and democracy, and eager to cast the continent as small, dependent, and immature. Ultimately, it seeks to remake Europe, and the West,…
Il tema di questa edizione de Il Circolo dell’ECFR sono i cosiddetti partiti europei Challengers, ovvero i partiti populisti in ascesa in UE, dalla destra alla sinistra. Tali attori politici stanno progressivamente “scuotendo” il mainstream della politica estera europea, acquisendo sempre più influenza nello scacchiere europeo ed internazionale. Il loro modus operandi, amplificato dal sostegno politico fornito…
Die transatlantischen Beziehungen, lange Zeit ein stabiles Fundament gemeinsamer Werte und Sicherheit, sind ins Wanken geraten. Spätestens seit der Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz zeigt sich: Das Bild von Freundschaft und Schulterschluss zwischen den USA und Europa bröckelt. Die Rhetorik aus Washington, die Europa teils als ideologischen Gegner betrachtet, und protektionistische Maßnahmen wie Sonderzölle belasten das…
As Africa becomes an increasingly central arena for Russia’s interests, the role of the United States and China is undergoing significant transformation. With Trump’s return to the White House, a broader US economic-military repositioning in Africa to contain external influences seems to occur, while Beijing continues to deepen its structural economic presence across the…
La temporanea sospensione dei dazi imposti dagli Stati Uniti nei confronti dell’Unione Europea non consente all’Europa di abbassare la guardia. Al contrario, è questo il momento di riflettere sia sulla strategia negoziale da adottare, sia sul più ampio contesto delle relazioni economiche transatlantiche. Dalle politiche commerciali e digitali alle leve finanziarie e infrastrutturali strategiche,…
Tobias Gehrke on the resilience of transatlantic trade despite ongoing US-EU tariff tensions
