Monday, 17 August 2026Europe · Analysis
Independent · Brussels & Berlin
Person
US Secretary of State, United States Department of State
One year after Trump hosted Putin in Alaska, the promised diplomatic breakthrough has evaporated. Both sides are intensifying military operations while US mediation has stalled amid a new Middle East conflict.
US president reverses long-standing policy on missile technology transfer while NATO leaders pledge $80 billion for Kyiv and defence spending targets slip.
The US president called the alliance a 'paper tiger' in a Telegraph interview, while Hungary blocks a €90 billion Ukraine loan and European capitals assess whether Article 5 deterrence has already collapsed.
Andrew Puzder tells CNBC that Brussels must choose between regulating American platforms and accessing the hardware and data that power artificial intelligence, as enforcement actions against Meta, Apple, Google and X pile up.
Prime minister uses state-of-the-nation address to frame April vote as existential choice while trailing opposition by double digits and welcoming Trump endorsement and Rubio visit.
As leaders gather in Bavaria, the Greenland crisis, a US strategy document targeting European governments, and doubts over Article 5 credibility frame the most uncertain transatlantic moment in decades.
Washington's travel restrictions on Thierry Breton and four activists reveal a confrontation that extends beyond trade into competing visions for global technology governance.
Washington's 28-point proposal crosses European red lines on territory, force caps and NATO infrastructure. A counter-offer from Berlin, Paris and London has been floated but Europeans remain excluded from direct talks with Kyiv in Miami.
Five months into Donald Trump's return, the US has abandoned indivisible security, imposed sweeping tariffs and launched a political offensive against European values, forcing allies to coordinate a response before July tariff deadlines.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Brussels insisting American commitment to NATO remains ironclad, but French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said the alliance is being tested by President Trump's latest decisions, while European capitals quietly prepare for a possible US troop drawdown.
US Secretary of State tells Brussels the alliance is rock-solid while President Trump slaps 20% tariffs on EU goods and demands defence spending that would require a command economy.
EU foreign policy chief criticised for bypassing capitals on ammunition plan and inflaming Washington after Trump-Zelenskyy clash
Vice President Vance's Munich speech, U.S.-Russia talks excluding Kyiv, and a UN vote aligning Washington with Moscow signal a fundamental shift in the security architecture that has underpinned Europe since 1949.
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