On Monday, December 8, 2025, the temperature in Brussels was already chilly, but the diplomatic climate between the European Union and the United States took a sharper turn. European Council President António Costa delivered a pointed warning to Washington: the United States should not interfere in European affairs, and only European citizens have the right to determine which parties govern them. Costa’s remarks, delivered at the Jacques Delors Institute in Paris, came as a direct response to the Trump administration’s newly released national security strategy, a document that has already stirred controversy across the continent and drawn praise from Moscow.
The Trump administration’s strategy, published on Friday, December 5, 2025, marks a significant departure from the approach taken by the previous U.S. administration. According to the Associated Press, the document paints European allies as weak and offers tacit support to far-right political parties, formalizing months of criticism aimed at EU policy and what the Trump team perceives as restrictions on free speech. The strategy’s tone and substance have not gone unnoticed in Europe, nor in Russia, where Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the document “absolutely corresponds to our vision.”
“What we can’t accept is the threat of interference in European political life. The United States cannot replace European citizens in choosing what the good or the bad parties are,” Costa declared, making his position unmistakably clear. He added, “It’s good that the strategy depicts European countries as an ally, but allies don’t threaten to interfere in the domestic political choices of their allies.” His words struck a chord in a region already grappling with the rise of nationalist parties and the challenge of maintaining unity in the face of external pressures.
The new U.S. strategy has emboldened some of those nationalist forces. Fabian Zuleeg, chief executive at the European Policy Centre, told the Associated Press, “Stridently nationalist parties in Europe will be emboldened by the strategy document and will intensify efforts to hollow out the EU from within.” He went on to warn, “Pro-European liberal forces need to finally wake up: Trump’s America is not an ally, but an adversary to Europe’s freedoms and fundamental values. His objective is to replace our democratic system with the illiberal populism now entrenched in the U.S.”
The strategy document does not stop at political alignment. It is also sharply critical of European free speech and migration policy, warning that U.S. allies in Europe face the “prospect of civilizational erasure.” This language, raising doubts about the long-term reliability of Europe as an American partner, has struck a nerve among EU leaders. Costa, who chairs the summits of the EU’s 27 national leaders, emphasized the deep connection between freedom of speech and freedom of information. “Europe’s history has taught us that you can’t have freedom of speech without freedom of information,” he said. He also warned, “There will never be free speech if the freedom of information of citizens is sacrificed for the aims of the tech oligarchs in the United States.”
As the diplomatic ripples spread, German government spokesperson Sebastian Hille addressed reporters in Berlin. Hille reinforced the enduring ties between the two powers, stating, “Europe and the U.S. are historically, economically and culturally linked, and remain close partners.” However, he did not shy away from addressing the tensions, adding, “But we reject the partly critical tones against the EU. Political freedoms, including the right to freedom of expression, belong to the fundamental values of the European Union. We view accusations regarding this more as ideology than strategy.”
The timing of the new security strategy is significant. It is the first such document since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, and it represents a stark break from the course set by Joe Biden’s Democratic administration, which had sought to reinvigorate Washington’s alliances with Europe and NATO. The Trump administration’s document also arrives as the U.S. seeks an end to Russia’s nearly four-year war in Ukraine—a goal described as a vital American interest. Yet, the strategy’s language suggests that the U.S. is just as interested in improving its relationship with Moscow and “reestablishing strategic stability with Russia.”
This pivot has not gone unnoticed by Russia. The Associated Press reported that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov welcomed the new U.S. approach, saying it “absolutely corresponds to our vision.” Over the course of the war in Ukraine, Russia has worked tirelessly to sow division among NATO allies, particularly between the U.S. and Ukraine’s main supporters in Europe. Costa, reading between the lines of the strategy, commented, “If we read closely the part about Ukraine, we can understand why Moscow shares this vision. The objective in this strategy is not a fair and durable peace. It’s only about the end of hostilities, and the stability of relations with Russia.” He continued, “Everyone wants stable relations with Russia, but we can’t have stable relations with Russia when Russia remains a threat to our security.”
These concerns are not merely theoretical. Top EU officials and intelligence officers have warned that, should Russia defeat Ukraine, it could be in a position to launch an attack elsewhere in Europe within three to five years. This assessment stands in contrast to the Trump administration’s new strategy, which notably does not classify Russia as a threat—a point highlighted by Germany’s Sebastian Hille. “The strategy doesn’t classify Russia as a threat; we don’t share this assessment. We are sticking with NATO’s joint analysis,” Hille stated. Indeed, Trump and his NATO counterparts had acknowledged in a June 2025 summit statement “the long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security.”
Despite the tensions and disagreements, some European officials continue to stress the importance of trans-Atlantic cooperation. Hille insisted, “In view of the great security policy challenges, trans-Atlantic cooperation is now and will be in the future of central significance for our common security.” That message, at least, remains a rare point of consensus between Brussels and Washington, even as the broader relationship is tested by new challenges and old rivalries.
As Europe digests the implications of America’s new security vision, the debate over sovereignty, alliances, and the future of the trans-Atlantic relationship is only set to intensify. The coming months will reveal whether the U.S. and Europe can find a way forward together—or whether the divide will only deepen as each side pursues its own vision of security and freedom.
