Can Europe use Trump’s return to reform its defence capabilities?

Since the end of World War II, Europe has thrived under the protective umbrella of the United States. Pax Americana, established through Nato and an enduring transatlantic partnership, allowed European nations to flourish, focusing on rebuilding their economies and societies while American military might deterred threats.

This security arrangement is the cornerstone of Europe’s post-war stability and prosperity. Yet with Donald Trump back in the White House, the era of unquestioned American commitment to European defence is over. It gives the European Union a binary choice.

In response, German chancellor Angela Merkel warned in 2017 that the EU could no longer “fully count on others” and must “take our destiny into our own hands”. In 2018, French President Emmanuel Macron called for “a true European army”. Both leaders recognised a shift was necessary – yet the EU has since taken incremental steps at best.