Published On 5/8/2026
European-American relations are facing a period of unprecedented tension, with escalating political and military disputes between the two sides of the Atlantic, at a time when calls are increasing within Europe to reconsider its strategic dependence on the United States and build a more independent security approach.
In this context, Ayman Al-Zubair said in a report he prepared for Al Jazeera that Germany, which has been one of the most prominent pillars of the Western alliance with Washington since the Cold War, is facing new challenges that shake the strength of this historical connection, especially with the widening gap of disagreements over trade, Iran, and Greenland issues.
Washington has recently taken steps that have raised widespread concern in Europe, including withdrawing thousands of American soldiers from their bases in Germany and suspending the deployment of Tomahawk missiles, moves that observers considered an indication of a change in the US administration’s priorities towards the European continent.
In this context, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee in the German Parliament, Ralph Stenger, said that German-American relations are “going through a great deal of fluctuation,” considering that this is linked to “the volatile policy of the American administration.”
According to Stenger, his country still sees the importance of maintaining transatlantic relations, stressing that “the relationship with the United States must remain reasonable and sound” despite the current differences.
paper tiger
The report indicated that the German position does not necessarily reflect a unified European trend, as other countries, led by Spain, have begun to adopt more independent policies towards Washington.
In this context, Madrid took steps described as unprecedented, including preventing the use of Spanish airspace and some American military bases in the south of the country in American military operations against Iran.
In Barcelona, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez held meetings with representatives of countries facing the rise of populist trends, at a time when Spain views US President Donald Trump as one of the most prominent symbols of the global political transformations that are pushing Europe to search for strategic alternatives.
The report quoted former European Union Foreign Policy Commissioner Josep Borrell as saying that Trump’s statements regarding NATO raise “great concern” within Europe, especially after his talk about “NATO being a paper tiger” and his reference to the possibility of withdrawing from the alliance.
According to the former European official, the alliance was primarily established to confront the former Soviet Union and current Russia, considering that any American questioning of the commitment to defend European allies appears to be a “gift to Russia” and pushes the Europeans to think more seriously about assuming their security responsibilities.
European strategic independence
European calls for strategic independence are no longer limited to Spain, but are increasingly echoed in several European capitals seeking to redefine the continent’s position in the international system.
France has frequently defended the idea of “European strategic independence,” calling for the building of a unified European army that would give the continent greater ability to make its security decisions away from the American umbrella.
The report quoted French Foreign Ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreau as saying that there is a “general trend within the United States” towards reducing focus on Europe and moving towards other regions of the world, adding that European countries are now required to bear greater responsibilities within NATO.
However, European consensus on this approach is still far away, in light of the differing positions of European countries regarding foreign policy and relations with Washington.
Deputy Director of the French Institute for International and Strategic Relations, Didier Bellion, said that some European countries are competing to win Trump’s favor, considering this “political naivety” because the American president “only understands the logic of rough balances of power.”
Bellion added that if Europe is unable to impose a real balance of power with the United States, it will be “the loser politically, economically, and even ideologically.”
In light of this, the European continent is currently experiencing what Ayman Al-Zubair described as a “moment of existential anxiety,” in light of an unprecedented rift in the relationship with the American ally, which for decades has been the main guarantor of Europe’s security and stability.
