There is no shortage of geopolitical challenges confronting US President Donald Trump as he navigates the second year of his second term in 2026. From advancing a controversial peace proposal for Gaza to seeking an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine and managing an increasingly volatile policy toward Venezuela, Trump’s foreign policy agenda is crowded and politically demanding. Yet amid these pressing global crises, one relationship that should be predictable, stable, and foundational has instead become unusually strained: the transatlantic partnership between the United States and Europe.

This deterioration is striking precisely because it was not inevitable. At the start of Trump’s second term, relations between Washington and European capitals were relatively calm, even cautiously optimistic. European leaders had spent years studying Trump’s governing style during his first presidency and entered the new term better prepared to engage him. Diplomatic visits were carefully choreographed, public confrontations were avoided, and personal rapport was emphasized over institutional rigidity. Contrary to widespread fears, Trump did not abruptly abandon Ukraine, nor did he dismantle NATO. Instead, he pursued what he described as pragmatic solutions-continuing military support for Kyiv while simultaneously pushing for negotiations aimed at ending the conflict.

By late 2025, however, that fragile equilibrium began to unravel. Tensions escalated as disagreements multiplied, culminating in Washington’s decision to impose travel bans on five European officials over alleged efforts to restrict or penalize American social media companies operating in Europe. The move was widely interpreted across European capitals as punitive, unilateral, and emblematic of a broader disregard for partnership. What had once been manageable differences hardened into structural friction, raising questions about the future durability of the transatlantic alliance.

Despite these tensions, the reality remains that Europe and the United States are deeply interdependent-and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Their ties are not merely diplomatic or military; they are historical, economic,........

© Blitz