In the past week, European leaders were seen crossing the Atlantic to meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky all held talks with Trump, with security issues and the ongoing war in Ukraine dominating the discussions. While the diplomatic interactions were cordial, they revealed much about Europe’s diminished role on the global stage and its strained relationship with the US.

A key takeaway from these meetings has been the renewed conversation about Europe creating its own nuclear umbrella, with the UK and France potentially leading the charge to protect the continent in place of the US. This, of course, is a European response to what they perceive as America’s withdrawal from Europe’s defense. Trump’s administration has made it clear that the US can no longer provide unconditional protection to its European allies-it must be earned. This stark shift in American policy, while blunt and confrontational, has exposed Europe’s vulnerability and its deep dependence on US security guarantees. The message is unambiguous: there will be no more “free rides” for Europe, and the region must step up to secure its future.

What followed was a series of tense discussions. Macron and Starmer, both representing NATO’s core European allies, entered into negotiations with Trump with the kind of strained diplomacy that accompanied the UK’s Brexit experience. Yet, despite the rhetoric and posturing, the essential question remains: can Europe truly safeguard its own security without the protection of the US? And, in the light of recent events, does Europe even have the political will to make it happen?

The idea of a European nuclear umbrella involving France and the UK is not a new one. It’s seen as a response to the ongoing........

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