American statesman Henry Kissinger once described U.S.–EU ties as a “troubled partnership.” Today, that partnership appears to be undergoing its most serious rupture since the end of the Second World War. This year’s Munich Security Report openly identifies the United States as “the most significant disruptor” of the international order; what was once a warm “transatlantic family dinner” now feels notably cold—and at moments, distinctly awkward.
In a global poll conducted by China’s state-owned broadcaster CGTN, 81.4 percent of respondents said that U.S.–EU relations have deteriorated across multiple fronts, including security, trade, and shared values.
From threatening tariff escalation and pressuring the EU to drastically increase defense spending, to excluding European countries from negotiations on Ukraine and even floating the idea of forcibly acquiring Greenland, shifts in U.S. foreign policy have repeatedly undermined the confidence of its European allies. The United States, once seen as the guarantor of European security, is increasingly viewed as a political destabilizer and an extractor of national interests.
A striking 88.4 percent of respondents believe that U.S. actions have seriously damaged the interests of European nations. Yet Europe’s longstanding security dependence on Washington remains difficult to reverse in the short term, and the absence of a unified diplomatic voice within the EU further complicates any path toward strategic self-rescue.
Meanwhile, 86.6 percent of participants say Europe’s limited strategic autonomy and internal fragmentation leave it ill-equipped to respond to unilateral pressure from the United States.
Source: Wang Haiman, Alim Cai- China Media Group.