I Have By Now Given Up on America as an Ally
It’s now almost a weekly occurrence. Donald Trump is once again spreading Russian propaganda or threatening to blow up NATO. Elon Musk suggested that if the European Union were to regulate social media, the United States would withdraw from NATO. Even outspoken European Atlanticists (NATO supporters), like the prospective German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, have effectively already bid farewell to the United States by stating that America is no longer an ally.
Merz’s thinking was confirmed a few days later when Trump claimed that the European Union was established to ruin America. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham piled on: Europeans would be the last to defend freedom. For the Republicans and Trump, Europe is no longer an ally but an adversary.
We’ve ignored so many wake-up calls that it’s become a pattern. Hopefully, this American storm will finally rip the earplugs out of European ears. Europeans are still in the denial phase, but America will drop Europe when it suits them strategically. Stop trying to salvage what’s left—a pan-European alliance between the EU, Turkey, the UK, and Ukraine is the only solution. I’ve already given up on America as an ally.
UN Resolution
Last week, the United States showed how they view Europe and the war in Ukraine. The Trump administration shamelessly sided with Russia. The United States voted against a UN resolution meant to condemn Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine. In doing so, Washington aligned itself with Russia, Belarus, North Korea, and South Sudan. Quite a club. Bastions of human rights and moral clarity, right?
The End of NATO
But what happened last Friday (February 28, 2025) confirmed what many Europeans had long feared: America wants to strike a deal with Russia over Ukraine to drive a wedge between Russia and China. Let me explain. By accommodating Russia in Ukraine, Trump hopes to win Russia over in the fight against China, while Europe needs a weakened Russia for a stable eastern border. A battered Russia reduces the chance of a “special military operation” in the Baltic States. Meanwhile, America wants to prevent Russia’s collapse, fearing that its eastern provinces might otherwise fall to China. This was also the case under Biden, but the way Trump is handling it now is uniting Europeans like never before and showing that Europe’s and America’s interests have become irreconcilable.
Zelensky
Against his better judgment, Zelensky traveled to the United States last Friday to finalize a minerals deal. But contrary to what was agreed, the United States scrapped the security guarantees from this minerals deal just before the joint press moment, according to de Volkskrant last Saturday. The original plan was that Ukraine would share its minerals with America in exchange for security guarantees to enforce lasting peace. Instead of signing a deal, Zelensky was subjected to a cross-examination by Trump and Vance on live television. The criticism of Zelensky, moreover, was entirely based on Russian disinformation.
Trapped
Zelensky couldn’t win. The Trump administration was looking for a reason to abandon Ukraine and withdraw military support. In doing so, the United States is planting a bomb under NATO’s very existence. NATO was originally founded in 1949 to counter Russian imperialism in Europe, and now it’s the United States that wants to legitimize it. European leaders immediately declared their support for Ukraine. Whether NATO is officially dissolved has become irrelevant. Under Trump, NATO can no longer fulfill its primary mission. NATO is effectively over.
European Security
By now, Europeans are all too aware that the war in Ukraine is decisive for the continent’s security. Russia won’t stop in Ukraine. The Russian economy is fully geared toward war and will use any “peace” primarily to regroup and attack Ukraine and other European countries in a few years. In the West, people see war and peace as a strict duality: either there’s peace, or there’s war. Not in Russia—warlike actions can exist during peacetime. Think especially of sabotage against EU members, like arson and cyberattacks. Russia is in war mode—economically, diplomatically, and militarily—against democracies worldwide. A so-called peace in Ukraine changes nothing about that. The only way to alter this and reduce the chance of a Great European War is a tactical defeat for Russia in Ukraine. And that will now have to happen without the Americans.
America Is Lost
The fact that America is questioning Article 5 of NATO (an attack on one is an attack on all) isn’t something I see as purely negative. The way Trump treats Zelensky, the blatant territorial claims on Greenland and Canada—it’s a writing on the wall. By doing this so openly and shamelessly, the American president makes it clear they’re no longer an ally for Europeans. Trump’s claim that the European Union was created to ruin America shows that Europeans can expect nothing more from this administration.
Merz was the only European leader who hinted at it between the lines: Europeans must defend their own continent without America. Trump wants a “peace deal,” and he couldn’t care less about the consequences for Ukraine. We need to chart our own course and stand firmly behind Ukraine. NATO could cease to function within days or weeks.
Trump Is a Blessing for the European Union
It sounds strange, but hear me out: Trump is a blessing for Europe. By so openly siding with Putin, he leaves Brussels and London no choice but to respond decisively and support Ukraine. Even European leaders, including Erdoğan, are now united behind Ukraine. Trump is even managing to bring Greece and Turkey together—a first. While Trump negotiates with Russia again this week, Brussels announced a renewed sanctions package against Russia and a new aid package for Ukraine.
The NATO
Last week, I listened to Arend-Jan Boekestijn and Rob de Wijk’s podcast, where Rob de Wijk said what I’ve been feeling: I’ve said goodbye to America as an ally. America sees Ukraine only as a resource colony, and Trump increasingly views the EU as an enemy, imposing 25 percent import tariffs. It’s questionable whether there’s still an alliance to speak of. Especially now that European and American interests are fundamentally clashing.
European Nationalism?
Rotterdam VVD councilor Erik Verweij wrote on X that he long feared the United States would leave NATO. Now, we as Europeans must ask ourselves whether we even want to remain part of this organization. I share this view. Can Europeans still be part of NATO if the United States no longer upholds its core principle? Do Europeans still want to serve as a trailer hitched to this mafia gang? Europe is being forced to forge its own path. Whether NATO ceases to function isn’t a question—it’s a fact. The only question is when judgment day will arrive.
From NATO to Pan-Europe
In Brussels and London, there’s finally a growing realization that a Ukrainian victory is crucial for European security. For the first time in decades, there’s a chance for Europeans to break free from the United States. Ukraine doesn’t just need Europeans to survive—Brussels and London need Ukraine too, and I’ll explain why. Ukraine has an impressive drone industry and can hit targets a thousand kilometers behind the front line. That’s exactly what NATO’s European members lack, making us dependent on America. Plus, Ukraine has gained immense combat experience and has a large army. If Europeans can establish a joint security organization with Ukraine, Europe could break free from the United States and become a global power.
But to create such a pan-European security organization, three conditions must be met. First, Turkey, Norway, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and Ukraine must all be part of this European defense force. Second, Europe will need to abandon the Non-Proliferation Treaty (which prohibits sharing nuclear weapons knowledge with non-nuclear powers) and develop nuclear weapons as a deterrent, since we can no longer rely on America’s nuclear umbrella. And finally, the EU and the UK must help Ukraine win the war. A Russian defeat is the only way to reduce the chance of a Greater European War.
Toward Post-Atlanticism
Prospective German Chancellor Friedrich Merz put it crystal clear: Ukraine must win, and Europe must be able to defend itself. Americans see Europe merely as a resource colony. Trump has managed to unite Europe behind Ukraine. Even the staunchest advocates of Transatlanticism, like Merz and Starmer, are now making a U-turn and pushing for a pan-European approach to defense and geopolitical orientation. Maybe Trump is more of a blessing than a curse for Europe. Biden, too, wanted to prevent Russia’s collapse and didn’t play toward a Ukrainian victory. But Trump’s blunt approach has united Europeans. America First also means Europe First—and Ukraine is Europe, America isn’t.
Author
Thank you for reading. I am Hidde Bouwmeester, a freelance historian and geopolitical analyst. I write analyses and articles on social media and on my website. Everything is always free to read, but a (small) ) donation is always appreciated. Or, if you’d consider supporting my work, you can also donate on this page.