US strategy urges stable Europe–Russia relations, cultivating resistance to the current European path
The White House has released a new US National Security Strategy, which addresses, among other things, US intentions regarding relations with the European Union and NATO.
"Should present trends continue, the continent will be unrecognizable in 20 years or less. As such, it is far from obvious whether certain European countries will have economies and militaries strong enough to remain reliable allies. Many of these nations are currently doubling down on their present path. We want Europe to remain European, to regain its civilizational self-confidence, and to abandon its failed focus on regulatory suffocation," the document states.
As noted, this "lack of confidence" is most evident in Europe’s relations with Russia.
" European allies enjoy a significant hard power advantage over Russia by almost every measure, save nuclear weapons. As a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine, European relations with Russia are now deeply attenuated, and many Europeans regard Russia as an existential threat. Managing European relations with Russia will require significant U.S. diplomatic engagement, both to reestablish conditions of strategic stability across the Eurasian landmass, and to mitigate the risk of conflict between Russia and European states," the Trump administration believes.
The main interest of the United States is to negotiate a rapid cessation of hostilities in Ukraine in order to stabilize European economies, prevent an unintended escalation or expansion of the war, restore strategic stability with Russia, and ensure that Ukraine recovers from the military action so that it can survive as a viable state.
" As a result of Russia’s war in Ukraine, European relations with Russia are now deeply attenuated, and many Europeans regard Russia as an existential threat. Managing European relations with Russia will require significant U.S. diplomatic engagement, both to reestablish conditions of strategic stability across the Eurasian landmass, and to mitigate the risk of conflict between Russia and European states," the document says.
In this regard, the priority of the overall US policy towards Europe is to restore conditions of stability in Europe and strategic stability with Russia, to enable Europe to "stand on its own two feet" and act as a group of allied sovereign states, in particular by assuming primary responsibility for its own defense, without domination by any hostile power, and to cultivate resistance to the current trajectory of Europe’s development within European states.
In addition, the importance of opening European markets to US goods and services and ensuring fair treatment of American workers and businesses is emphasized, and building healthy states in Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe through trade ties, arms sales, political cooperation, and cultural and educational exchanges is emphasized.
Separately, the US declares its intention to " Ending the perception, and preventing the reality, of NATO as a perpetually expanding alliance" and to encourage Europe to take measures to combat excess capacity, technology theft, cyber espionage, and other hostile economic practices.
