https://arab.news/nan3m
The Trump administration last month released its National Security Strategy. The document, which is required by law, typically presents the approach American presidents plan to take during their time in office, usually stressing continuity and stability. This strategy, however, marks a clear shift in US foreign policy.
The new strategy has received mixed reviews. In Europe, there was shock and dismay, reminiscent of the reactions on the continent to Vice President J.D. Vance’s stunning remarks at the Munich Security Conference in February, when he chastised European leaders and institutions, especially the EU.
While criticism of the strategy has again focused on the US’ chastisement of Europe for its relatively open migration policy and the administration’s implicit support for extreme-right groups, it contains an equally scathing dressing down over Europe’s economic and defense policies. Europe has seen its share of global gross domestic product fall from 25 percent in 1990 to 14 percent today, the strategy says, partly due to the EU.
In a clear departure from former President Joe Biden’s approach to the war in Ukraine, the strategy criticizes Europe for refusing a peace deal and asking the US to bankroll the war with Russia. The strategy must have alarmed Western and Northern European nations by favoring “Central, Eastern and Southern Europe” for trade, weapons sales, political collaboration, and cultural and educational exchanges.
