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Analysts say Trump is inherently unpredictable, making it difficult to know how closely — or for how long — he will follow the ideas set out in his new strategy.
The new US National Security Strategy, released by President Donald Trump’s administration, calls for “cultivating resistance” in Europe, warning that the continent is undermining democracy, blocking peace in Ukraine, and facing “civilizational destruction” due to high migration and declining birth rates, FT reports.
The strategy criticizes traditional US allies but avoids criticizing Russia. It accuses European officials of obstructing US efforts to end the war in Ukraine and faults governments for ignoring the “great European majority” that wants peace.
“Rapid cessation of hostilities is necessary to stabilize European economies, prevent accidental escalation or expansion of the war, and restore strategic stability with Russia,” the document says.
The 33-page strategy outlines a dramatic reorientation of US foreign policy under Trump, prioritizing American dominance in the Western Hemisphere as part of a renewed Monroe Doctrine — the 1823 principle that the United States would not tolerate malicious foreign interference in its hemisphere.
“The days when the United States supported the entire world order like Atlas are gone,” the document states.
The strategy underscores the growing ideological divide between Washington and its traditional allies, portraying Europe as a continent where “economic decline is overshadowed by the real and harsher prospect of civilizational disappearance.”
As a direct challenge to the EU, the strategy says the US must “cultivate resistance to Europe’s current trajectory within European nations.” It also praises the rising influence of Eurosceptic far-right parties whose ascent to power in EU capitals could threaten the future of the Union.
“American diplomacy must continue to stand for genuine democracy, freedom of expression, and an uncompromising respect for the individual character and history of European nations. America encourages its political allies in Europe to help fuel this revival, and the growing influence of patriotic European parties is indeed cause for great optimism,” the strategy reads.
The US intends to pursue a policy of “responsibility shifting,” pushing Europe to “stand on its own feet and act as a group of allied sovereign states, including by assuming primary responsibility for its own defense.”
It calls for “reconsidering the global US military presence to respond to urgent threats in our own hemisphere, especially missions identified in this strategy, and to withdraw from theaters whose relevance to America’s national security has declined in recent decades.”
Next year, following the strategy’s release, the US will conduct a review of its defense posture to reallocate military resources in line with new foreign-policy priorities.
The document outlines several priorities for overall US policy toward Europe, including:
• restoring stability in Europe and strategic stability with Russia
• enabling Europe to act as united sovereign states and take responsibility for its own defense
• fostering resistance to Europe’s current political trajectory
• opening European markets to US goods and ensuring fair treatment of American workers and businesses
• strengthening Central, Eastern and Southern European states through trade, weapons sales, political cooperation, and cultural and educational exchanges
• ending the notion of NATO as an alliance that must continually expand, and preventing such expansion
• urging Europe to counter mercantilist overcapacity, technology theft, cyber espionage and other hostile economic practices
Trump’s administration nevertheless acknowledges that “Europe remains strategically and culturally vital to the United States.” The document highlights the continent’s strengths and the value of America’s partnerships there.
“Not only can we not afford to write Europe off — doing so would be self-destructive. Our goal must be to help Europe correct its current course,” the strategy states.
The publication coincides with Trump’s renewed push to end Russia’s war against Ukraine, raising concerns in European capitals that Washington may pressure Kyiv into concessions crossing its red lines. European leaders have privately expressed fears that the US could “betray” Ukraine in talks with Moscow.
The strategy echoes a speech by US Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Forum in February, which shocked European allies with its hostile tone and insistence that Europe faces a greater threat from its own democratic failings than from Russian aggression.
China also receives significant attention in the strategy, though often indirectly. Many US lawmakers from both parties see China as America’s most serious long-term challenge. While the rhetoric is tough, it is also cautious and not overtly provocative, Politico notes.
The administration promises to “rebalance America’s economic relationship with China, prioritizing reciprocity and fairness to restore US economic independence.” It calls for “balanced trade focused on non-sensitive factors” and for maintaining “truly mutually beneficial” economic ties with Beijing.
The document says the US wants to prevent war in the Indo-Pacific, alluding to tensions between China and US allies such as Japan and the Philippines. It also reaffirms America’s long-standing declaratory policy on Taiwan, stating that the US does not support unilateral changes to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.
This wording may reassure observers who feared Trump might retreat from supporting Taiwan.
Release of the strategy and the accompanying National Defense Strategy had been delayed partly due to internal debates over language on China. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent pushed for softening some phrasing regarding Beijing.
The strategy places heavy emphasis on the Western Hemisphere, reflecting Trump’s intention to maintain a stronger US military presence in the region to address migration, narcotics, and hostile actors — framed as essential to protecting American territory.
It devotes significant attention to Latin America, the Caribbean, and other neighbors, marking a sharp departure from previous administrations that centered global powers like Russia and China or counterterrorism as top priorities.
As often happens in Trump-era documents, parts of the strategy praise the president himself, describing him as a “president of peace” who “uses unconventional diplomacy.”
It also tries to smooth over contradictions, saying the US should set a high bar for foreign interventions while also preventing the rise of dominant adversaries.
This strategy provides a rare official explanation of the Trump administration’s worldview. Such strategies, typically issued once per presidential term, shape global priorities and budget decisions across the US government. In his preface, Trump calls the document “a roadmap to ensure that America remains the greatest and most successful nation in human history and the homeland of freedom on earth.”
But Trump’s unpredictability makes it uncertain how strictly he will adhere to the ideas in the strategy. A major global event could also shift his thinking. Still, the document aligns with many of the moves he has made during his second term in the White House.
