It has taken European leaders nearly a year to recognize what they were up against in Donald Trump. The 47th president has been browbeating and insulting them since he returned to the White House. He has called Europe a “decaying” continent led by “weak,” “incompetent” people who “are not doing a good job,” and his administration has vowed to “cultivate resistance” to continental governments, replacing them with far-right populists. Still, most European leaders have been afraid to push back, wary of alienating the great power that has guaranteed the continent’s security and prosperity for over 80 years.
But this dynamic appears to be changing as Trump ratchets up his threats to take over Greenland—the autonomous territory of a loyal NATO member—either “the easy way” or “the hard way,” with the use of force.
As recently as last fall, European leaders fell into two camps. The largest group consisted of what you might call “appeasers” like NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who never publicly questions or counters Trump and called him “Daddy” at last summer’s NATO summit. In the other camp, generally younger, less established, or no longer in public office, are the “rebels.” Among the most outspoken is former Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, who warns that NATO is heading into its “twilight“ years and if Europe “doesn’t wake up, we might have to declare it dead.”
What’s been missing are sober, down-to-earth voices with concrete plans for how Europe can move toward a new order, out from under America’s shadow and able to defend itself against an aggressive, revanchist Russia.
