Europe-U.S. ties at their 'lowest' in NATO history, ex-EU chief says, as Trump goes 'America First'

Europe and U.S. relations are facing their "lowest moment" since NATO came into being, erstwhile European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said, arsenic Washington's disruptive attack to diplomacy forces allies to reexamine the transatlantic relationship.

"There are immoderate doubts astir the narration with the United States," Barroso, besides erstwhile premier curate of Portugal, said successful an interrogation with CNBC's "The China Connection" connected Monday, pointing to a nonaccomplishment of spot that extends beyond the European Union to see the U.K.

U.S. President Donald Trump's purpose to get Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, including threats of imaginable subject enactment and higher tariffs connected European nations, has shaken assurance successful the U.S. among European leaders and the public.

The narration betwixt Europe and the U.S. has go progressively driven by interests, shifting distant from the accepted exemplary of being based connected shared "democratic values," Barroso said, describing the infinitesimal arsenic a "rupture phase" successful which it remains unclear "where we are going from now."

While Trump pulled backmost from a maximalist position, ruling retired the usage of subject force and retreating from his menace of imposing tariffs connected European nations aimed astatine pressuring them to assistance the U.S. get the island, helium is sticking with his purpose of exerting power connected the Arctic territory.

In a societal media station past week aft a gathering with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump said determination is "the model of a aboriginal deal" connected Greenland, without disclosing immoderate details oregon whether Denmark had agreed to a deal. Rutte aboriginal said the contented of Greenland's ownership did not travel up successful his talks with Trump.

Barroso described Trump arsenic "the large disruptor" who is sometimes "more pugnacious with allies and friends, than with opponents."

Only 16% of Europeans presumption the U.S. arsenic an state that shares the aforesaid values, down from 21% successful 2024, with a "striking" 20% seeing the U.S. arsenic a rival oregon an enemy, according to a survey conducted successful November by the European Council connected Foreign Relations, an planetary deliberation tank.

That illness of spot was stark successful the U.K. which saw the stock driblet to 25%, from 37% a twelvemonth earlier.

On defense, European leaders person besides accelerated efforts toward "European sovereignty," Barroso said, arsenic the Trump medication has piled connected unit implicit the bloc's defence spending.

"If you privation to support NATO, it volition beryllium a much Europeanized NATO," Barroso said, adding that Europe should not trust lone connected the Americans, but prioritize strengthening its ain defense.

At the NATO Summit successful The Hague past year, subordinate states pledged to put the equivalent of 5% of their economical output connected defence and information spending by 2035, pursuing months of pressure from Washington.

Barroso said that NATO was stronger than earlier Russia's penetration of Ukraine, pointing to Sweden and Finland joining the bloc and that the confederation is present operationally person to Russia border. NATO has accrued its military presence on its eastbound flank pursuing Moscow's penetration successful Ukraine.

While sounding pessimistic astir the existent authorities of Europe-U.S. relations, Barroso cautioned against calling it the extremity of the transatlantic alliance, saying the U.S. remains important to Europe's security.