PRESIDENT Donald J Trump’s rapid reorientation of US foreign policy and strategic deprioritisation of Europe have alarmed European leaders.

His Greenland venture and bullish attitude toward allies and partners undermined eighty years of Euro-Atlantic trust. Therefore, European leaders are seeking to constitute a collective defence policy to strengthen the European defensive fence. The European strategic anxiety was evident at the 2026 Munich Security Conference, with a predominant theme: Destruction.

The post-1945 Euro-Atlantic security architecture is undergoing transformation due to the protracted Russia-Ukraine War, the Trump Administration’s realignment toward the Western Hemisphere, the growing significance of the Asia-Pacific and the deprioritisation of Europe. The US National Security Strategy, declassified in November 2025, decisively prioritises protecting the homeland and Western Hemisphere. It also emphasized that “Europe to stand on its own feet and operate as a group of aligned sovereign nations, including by taking primary responsibility for its own defence, without being dominated by any adversarial power.” Is Europe prepared for its own defense?

Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany and President Emmanuel Macron of France once again drew the attention of participants at the 2026 Munich Security Conference to President Trump’s wrecking-ball........

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