The U.S. appears poised to break with 77 years of partnership with Western European nations under the security umbrella of NATO, especially after its President Donald Trump has said that he is “absolutely” considering withdrawing from the alliance, which in his view is a “paper tiger”. Mr. Trump has frequently complained about getting less from NATO than Washington was putting into it, saying recently to the media, “… it’s a one-way street”. In the longer arc of history spanning the two Trump terms, a split with NATO, a security alliance, might not be of the same order as the eviscerating institutions of global governance and cooperation, which include the WTO and UN system organisations. But it is part of Mr. Trump’s simultaneous pursuit of American global dominance and splendid isolation. In this new post-Pax Americana world, Europe, more than most, will have to reimagine its security paradigm from first principles.

Source: The Hindu April 02, 2026 21:33 UTC