Since assuming the presidency in 2017, Emmanuel Macron has energetically promoted the idea of European ‘strategic autonomy,’ a concept deeply rooted in French international relations theory. It envisages, among other things, the expansion of pan-European collective security mechanisms that would ultimately minimise the role of the United States. Despite the general difficulty of implementing this concept, Paris made substantial progress on one of its key aspects in March 2026

Throughout Trump’s second term, his administration’s policies towards Ukraine, russia, and transatlantic alliances have been unpredictable and sometimes contradictory. The recently-released National Security Strategy attempts to outline a coherent vision for America’s new relationship with the world. The two-and-a-half pages on Europe are perhaps the most notable part of this vision, with the document’s harshest criticism reserved for its closest allies. Europe is portrayed a