Shell-shocked Europeans will be tempted to hunker down and hope that Donald Trump does not make good on his most extreme threats, like sweeping import tariffs and quitting NATO. But this would be a catastrophic mistake; Europeans must swallow their pride and try to capitalize on Trump’s craving for admiration.
LONDON – Donald Trump’s re-election as US president is a devastating shock to Europe, which is woefully unprepared. Trump’s promised protectionism threatens the European Union’s struggling export-led economies, and his transactional attitude toward NATO endangers Europe’s already feeble security. Ukraine could soon be sacrificed to Russia, and by emboldening nationalist fellow-travelers such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Trump may cause EU unity to be further undermined from within.
LONDON – Donald Trump’s re-election as US president is a devastating shock to Europe, which is woefully unprepared. Trump’s promised protectionism threatens the European Union’s struggling export-led economies, and his transactional attitude toward NATO endangers Europe’s already feeble security. Ukraine could soon be sacrificed to Russia, and by emboldening nationalist fellow-travelers such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Trump may cause EU unity to be further undermined from within.