President Donald Trump's administration has warned that Europe faces "civilizational erosion" and questioned whether some countries can remain reliable allies, in a new strategic document that pays special attention to the continent.
The 33-page National Security Strategy sees the American leader outline his vision for the world and how he will use US military and economic power to work towards it.
Trump described the document as a "roadmap" to ensure America remains "the greatest and most successful nation in the history of mankind."
European politicians have begun to react, with Germany's Foreign Minister, Johann Wadephul, saying his country did not need "advice from abroad."
A formal National Security Strategy is typically released by presidents once each term. It can form a framework for future policies and budgets, as well as signal to the world where the president's priorities lie.
The new document follows similar rhetoric to Trump's speech at the United Nations earlier this year, where he harshly criticized Western Europe and its approach to migration and clean energy.
The new report doubles down on Trump's view, calling for restoring "Western identity," combating foreign influence, halting mass migration, and focusing more on U.S. priorities, such as stopping drug cartels.
Focusing on Europe, he claims that if current trends continue, the continent will be “unrecognizable within 20 years or less” and its economic issues “overshadowed by the real and bleak prospect of the disappearance of civilization.”
"It is far from clear whether some European countries will have economies and militaries strong enough to remain reliable allies," the document says.
It also accused the European Union and “other transnational bodies” of carrying out activities that “undermine political freedom and sovereignty,” said migration policies were “creating conflicts,” and said other issues included “censorship of free speech and suppression of political opposition, declining birth rates, and loss of national identities and self-confidence.”
Conversely, the document welcomes the growing influence of “European patriotic parties” and says that “America encourages its political allies in Europe to promote this revival of spirit.”
The Trump administration has fostered ties with the far-right AfD party in Germany, which is classified as far-right by German intelligence.
German Foreign Minister Wadephul emphasized that "the United States is and will remain our most important ally in the [NATO] alliance. However, this alliance is focused on addressing security policy issues."
"I believe that issues of freedom of expression or the organization of our free societies do not belong [in the strategy], in any case at least when it comes to Germany," he added.
Referring to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the document says Europe lacks "self-confidence" in its relationship with Russia.
Managing European relations with Russia will require significant US involvement, the document said, adding that it is a core US interest that hostilities in Ukraine end.
The Trump administration has proposed a plan to end the war, the original version of which called for Ukraine to cede some territory to de facto Russian control. However, Trump's envoy presented a modified version in Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Ukrainian troops must withdraw from Ukraine's eastern Donbas region or Russia will invade it by force.
The White House strategy document repeatedly refers to the Western Hemisphere and the need for the US to protect itself from external threats.
The document says there must be a realignment of “our global military presence to respond to urgent threats in our Hemisphere.” To do this, the strategy calls for shifting assets away from theaters of war that are less important to American national security than they once were.
This redefinition of military power priorities can already be seen in the Caribbean, where the US military has a growing presence and has carried out repeated deadly attacks on ships that the government claims are transporting drugs. The world's largest warship, the USS Gerald Ford, is currently based in the Caribbean along with its strike group.
Far from the Western Hemisphere, the Trump administration singles out the South China Sea as a key maritime passage that has major implications for the American economy, and the document says the US will “strengthen and strengthen our military presence in the Western Pacific.”
The US also calls for increased defense spending from Japan, South Korea, Australia and Taiwan.
It says that “avoiding a conflict over Taiwan, ideally by maintaining military superiority, is a priority.” China sees self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to “reunify” it.
The strategy also talks about fostering a stronger U.S. industrial base and less reliance on foreign technologies, which aligns with some of the moves the Trump administration has taken with its sweeping global tariffs.
