How to become independent from the whims of Donald Trump? Here are three lessons for Europe
When Trump's Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, met with the foreign ministers of NATO countries in Sweden on Friday, one thing was already obvious: it can't go on like this. Given Trump's unpredictable, violent security policy, Europe must become independent from the United States.
For Trump, Europe is no longer an equal partner, but only a place where he can keep his planes. To increase its own security, Europe should draw three lessons from Trump's policies.
Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State. Helsingborg, May 22, 2026PAP/EPA/JOHAN NILSSON/TT
Unpredictable moves by Washington today force Europe to act to no longer be just a ball in the game of the capricious US president.
Protection only for your own
The withdrawal of American troops is one thing, but unpredictability is equally dangerous. — It becomes dangerous if security guarantees depend on changing moods, personal sympathies or political games to suit the needs of one's own voters, says Adorf.
Europe is becoming Trump's base
For Trump, Europe is no longer an equal partner. He uses the continent primarily to achieve his own goals. For him, the most important are military bases, which provide global military flexibility. It also used European bases in the conflict with Iran.
Although under Trump's rule Europe is at risk of being “degraded from the status of an ally to the role of a military infrastructure,” as Adorf notes, the US cannot ignore it anyway. It remains an important economic, technological and diplomatic area. Adorf emphasizes: – Trump will not completely give up on Europe, but he will try to use it even more on his own terms.
No more shock, time for action
There is no doubt: Europe must become independent in security matters in order to survive without the USA. The threat is real: since 2014, Putin's army has been fueling the crisis in the east. “Even Democrats have shifted U.S. strategic focus increasingly toward the Indo-Pacific region,” Adorf notes.
Military capabilities: in the field of satellite reconnaissance, cybersecurity, intelligence, air transport and defense systems, Europe still depends almost entirely on the USA. These gaps need to be filled. NATO's European partners are now to take lessons directly from war-experienced Ukraine.
Arms industry: European spending is high but ineffective. Standardization and support for the production of weapons and ammunition are needed.
Logistics and mobility: European roads, bridges and railway lines must be expanded so that heavy military formations can be quickly transferred from the west to the east of the continent.
Solving the nuclear issue: Nuclear deterrence is still the most important safeguard. France and Britain – as nuclear powers – are seeking European cooperation and increasing their arsenals. For now, however, Europe cannot cope in this area without the USA.
Europe is finally catching up
Work in this direction is already underway. The foundation for NATO's own pillar is being built through increased defense budgets and increased coordination. Investments amounting to billions of euros are planned. However, everything will be decided by the pace of implementation.
