"Friedrich Merz's criticism of Donald Trump last month reflected more than a moment of personal candour or a split between Berlin and the White House. It pointed to a broader shift under way among European leaders. Increasingly they are willing to publicly confront the Trump administration on issues ranging from Iran to Ukraine and European sovereignty. The Trump administration's ever-more erratic policies and the belief that they necessitate a more forceful response partly explains this shift."
"The German chancellor directed his remarks at the war on Iran. He did not believe, he told an event at a school in his constituency, that Trump had a viable exit strategy. Moreover, Tehran's clever diplomacy had humiliated the US. But Merz's comments do not exist in isolation they followed a series of tough interventions from European leaders including Emmanuel Macron, Keir Starmer and even Giorgia Meloni."
"The US's attempt to acquire Greenland earlier this year crossed clear European red lines regarding the territorial integrity of a Nato ally and the right to self-determination of the Greenlandic people. So did attempts by Trump and his vice-president, JD Vance, to influence Hungary's election in favour of Viktor Orban. Yet none of these crises alone explain Europe's harder stance."
"More important is the growing and justified belief inside European capitals that Washington holds less leverage over the continent than it did a year ago. The Iran war has demonstrated that the US needs Europe-based military infrastructure to project power in the Middle East, suggesting that military dependency is not entirely one-sided. Europe's military spending has also risen sharply since Trump's return to office, and a growing share is being directed towards European arms manufacturers. The US remains Europe's dominant arms supplier. Yet the Sipri thinktank estimates that the US share of arms transfers to Europe fell to 58% from 2021-25, down from 64% over the 2020-24 period."
European leaders are increasingly willing to publicly challenge the Trump administration on issues including Iran, Ukraine, and European sovereignty. Criticism of Trump reflects a broader shift rather than personal candour or a Berlin–Washington split. The German chancellor questioned whether Trump had a viable exit strategy for the war on Iran and said Tehran’s diplomacy humiliated the US. Similar tough interventions have come from other European leaders. The US attempt to acquire Greenland and efforts to influence Hungary’s election crossed European red lines. A key driver is the belief that Washington has less leverage over Europe than before. Military needs in the Middle East and rising European defense spending, including more funding for European arms manufacturers, support this reduced dependency.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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