Donald Trump and the Unmaking of Europe | LSE Event

Why It Matters

Understanding Europe’s nuanced response to Trump reveals how temporary U.S. disruptions can reshape long‑term transatlantic strategy, influencing trade, security, and the EU’s sovereign decision‑making.

Key Takeaways

• Europeans view Trump as temporary, shaping diplomatic strategies.
• EU leaders resorted to flattery and self‑humiliation to appease Trump.
• Trade concessions accepted to avoid security retaliation, e.g., 15% tariff.
• Europe occasionally resisted, notably on Ukraine and Greenland issues.
• Domestic US pushback limits Trump’s long‑term influence on Europe.

Summary

The LSE event titled “Donald Trump and the unmaking of Europe” featured Dr. Natalie Tochi, a senior European policy expert, who examined how Trump’s unconventional foreign policy has reshaped EU‑US relations. She framed the debate around whether Trump represents a structural break in American power or a temporary, conjunctural shift, arguing that most European leaders treat it as the latter and adjust their tactics accordingly. Tochi highlighted a pattern of European flattery and self‑humiliation—ranging from dubbing Trump a “German” to NATO’s secretary‑general calling him “daddy”—as a pragmatic way to buy time and mitigate damage. She noted concrete policy outcomes, such as the EU’s acceptance of a 15% tariff on American goods and the willingness to observe, rather than fully engage in, Trump‑initiated initiatives like the Gaza cease‑fire plan. She also cited moments of European resistance, especially regarding Ukraine and the unexpected Greenland annexation threat. In the Ukraine case, European officials publicly rejected Trump’s suggestion to lift Russian sanctions while still seeking to keep the United States involved in security guarantees. The Greenland episode illustrated a firmer stance, with European actors pushing back against overt American territorial ambitions. The analysis suggests that Europe’s short‑term accommodation may preserve immediate security and economic interests, but it also risks entrenching a reactive posture. As domestic pushback in the United States curtails Trump’s ability to dictate long‑term policy, European policymakers must balance pragmatic engagement with strategic autonomy to safeguard the transatlantic alliance’s future.

Original Description

Join us for this lecture by Nathalie Tocci who will argue that Donald Trump’s foreign policy record has not been very successful so far, as wars continue to rage in Ukraine and in the Middle East.

The exception is Europe. Trump wants to divide and weaken Europe. And tragically, she will argue, he’s not doing badly on this count.

Speaker:

Dr Nathalie Tocci

Chair:

Professor Peter Trubowitz

#Trump #Events #London

Full details/attend: https://www.lse.ac.uk/events/the-unmaking-of-europe

Featured image (used in thumbnail with watermark added): Photo https://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse45/44968628495 by The Trump White House Archived https://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse45/ on Flickr https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/deed.en

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