Emerging US-Europe Fissures: Possible Threat to West & NATO!

While curious penchant for imperialist policies of the past centuries in the world still attracts President Trump 2.0 to consolidate its unchallenged global hegemony, suffering cracks due to Russian and Chinese ascendance in international and global affairs both individually and collectively and further in association with like-minded autocratic regimes of North Korea and Islamic hardliners like Iran, Lebanon and Yemen etc., the cumulative effect of aforesaid imperialist assertions by America may perhaps hurt the hitherto solid Anglo-American Unity and the NATO alliance led by Washington itself to consolidate democracy throughout the world in general and the distinct liberal-democratic order of Europe in particular. Hence, one must not forget that equality, liberty, brotherhood, non-violence and peace etc. are the only cardinal features and universal values with which are blessed as these can instill solace, comfort and security among all of us to make our world human lives meaningful with substance in true sense of the terms.

Introduction

The just occurred brouhaha between the US President Donald Trump including the Vice-President J D Vance and his Ukraine counter-part Vladimir Zelenskyy over American veto on the UN resolution declaring Russia an aggressor, highlights the massive churn through which the current international relations are going ahead. Why America did so might be a secret fact but the actual reasons are not far away for anyone to guess?  Indeed, instead of initiating effective steps as a global leader and the most powerful man in the world by seeking cooperation from European leaders and other liberal-democratic dispensations across the world viz India, Australia, Japan, South Korea and more to help-resolve some of the potential threats to the peace and security of the world as visible in the three years long brutal Russia-Ukraine war and almost same horrible situation in Gaza threatening the peace and security of the entire Middle East and adjoining regions too, the US under Trump 2.0 now looks well-prepared to reclaim its unparalleled =unipolar hegemony that it enjoyed after the demise of the USSR during closing years of 1980s onwards up till a multipolar world order emerged around the middle of the first decade of the present century with China, Russia, Mexico, Germany, Italy, Israel, Turkey, Japan, Canada, Australia and the Scandinavian countries consistently upcoming to challenge the US’ global hegemony while Washington has been trailing behind from many of the aforesaid powers in critical sectors like industry, computer science, information technology, space exploration, climate and ocean science etc.. Besides the above-mentioned powers, few prominent states like India in South Asia, Indonesia in Southeast Asia, Brazil in South America and South Africa are elevating their economic and technical profile fast on the global stage by entering into the league of top 10 emerging economies characterized by their credible scientific and technological advancements, socio-economic growth and political consolidation apart from their distinct soft power and specific cultural means, altogether engendering fragmentation of the unipolar international order into the multipolar world (Acharya, 2025). A solemn pledge towards retracing the supreme global position for the US under Trump 2.0 was clearly visible during the above-mentioned heated exchanges between the two presidents – Trump and Zelenskyy – on Feb 28 2025 at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC. A scholar is of the view that “If anyone following the US’ administration approach to the brutal war in Ukraine had any lingering doubts about its stance, the Trump-Vance meeting with Zelenskyy should have effectively ended them.” (Ganguly, 2025) Obviously a question arises here as to whether or not America is interested in strengthening and upholding the liberal-progressive values and democratic traditions and also security of the West including the NATO alliance just by acknowledging to appease the consistently ongoing massive power build-up by both autocrats viz. Russia and China. While Russian aggression over Ukraine has gravely endangered the peace and security of not only the Anglo-European World but that of the entire world as well, Chinese militarist and imperialist aggressions and expansions continuing since many of the past decades have also endangered the same peace and security of the entire Indo-Pacific region and even beyond in its bid to forcefully extract from powerful states like Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and India as well. Why is Trump hopeful from the considerably strong Moscow and Beijing – both individually and their combine power – to help-facilitate the targeted American ascendance as the lone global hegemon without friction? Is Putin or Xi Jinping not wishing to accomplish the same undisputed supreme position in the world?  Or is this chosen goal of the US is feasible if Washington disowns or abandons the economic or security concerns of Europe by just remaining focused on its own exclusive national interests? In fact, it may prove to be a disaster for the US, if Trump 2.0 undermines the overall collective power including soft power of the West wherein Anglo-American spirit of liberalism and democracy and passionate service towards humanity and their joint vision regarding global peace and security, political stability, socio-economic progress by upholding liberal-democratic and progressive traditions etc. have their unique binding force to sustain humanism and welfare of the global humanity so as to protect and preserve the whole world from unforeseen tumults and catastrophe like two World Wars in the previous century.

The paper is here concerned with the evolving paradigm shift in international relations with coming into the US’ supreme power of the new incumbent Donald Trump as President at second inning. While the introduction part casts focus on the immediate reasons that took place just few days ago, the next part analyses those factors working beneath the aforesaid reasons having roots in the American imperialist and expansionist policies coming out during last years of the second decade of the previous century in the form of restructuring of the modern capitalism against the backdrop of 1929 global economic crisis and consequent remaking of  the post-IInd world war international system led by the US counterpoised the then USSR. In order to maintain a logical discussion and analysis as regards emerging changes into the US’ current foreign policy the third part of the article discusses American global vision pertaining to idealism and world peace that characterized the then international order after the closure of the Ist World War. Thereafter the next part highlights towards drastic changes in the US’s foreign policy leading to overturning of the US’ liberal-ideological and democratic foundations thus engendering the unity and strength of the West as well as that of the NATO due to rising mutual bickering among alliance partners. Since the US today is no longer a liberal internationalist and progressive & democratic state, that inevitably leads to emerging of frictions between American and Europe and also between the US and India due to various reasons as discussed in the fifth part of the article. Lastly the article concludes with few probable options like pro-people alternatives challenging exploitative capitalism leading to imperialism and strengthening of the multilateral institutions besides consolidating regionalism to help strengthen and stabilize, economy, society and polity of partner states therein apart from restoring universal values among all as the only sustaining spirit to make human lives worthy of substance..

US’s penchant for capitalism

While curious penchant for imperialist policies of the past centuries in the world still attracts President Trump 2.0 to consolidate its unchallenged global hegemony, suffering cracks due to Russian and Chinese ascendance in international and global affairs both individually and collectively and further in association with like-minded autocratic regimes of North Korea and Islamic hardliners like Iran, Lebanon and Yemen etc., the cumulative effect of aforesaid imperialist assertions by America may perhaps hurt the hitherto solid Anglo-American Unity and the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO) alliance led by Washington itself to consolidate democracy throughout the world in general and the distinct liberal-democratic order of Europe in particular (Khan, 2025). The NATO alliance was itself launched in 1949 by the US, Canada, and several Western European nations. One of the purpose of this grand alliance was to promote democratic values, apart from protecting the security and freedom of its members through political and military means (NATO, 1949). Though created with an avowed objective to counter Soviet Union (USSR) armies stationed in Central and Eastern Europe after the IInd World War, it was conceived to serve liberal-progressive and democratic values not only in the Anglo-European world but in all over the world. And America, suffering least from the onslaughts of two world wars, swiftly turned into the much awaited dominant role of a Super Power in the post-World War II cold war years enjoying tremendous economic and military power, while riding on the crest of the solo nuclear bomb.

US’ ideal vision for world peace

In fact, the US predominance in international relations even prior to the final closure of the first-World War after Versailles Treaty 1919, has had a tremendous impact as idealism or world-peace on the evolving course of international relations especially characterized by the American President Wilson’s Fourteen Point Idealist action-program along with creation of the League of Nations with a view to establish lasting peace in the war-torn world. But, on the other hand, the consequent power-politics due to successful Russian Revolution and Bolshevik Revolution staged under the revolutionary leader Lenin in February and October 1917 respectively led to overthrowing of the Czarist imperial government in Petrograd now known as St. Petersburg and also resulted into the fierce ideological rivalry between capitalism and communism. And that very well cautioned America regarding imminent Soviet expansionist threat towards West and further led to its inclination towards realism. The consequent decades resulting into the onset of the second-World War drastically changed the pith and substance of its foreign policy to gradually consolidate over realism from the earlier idealism till today, thus reflecting its self-absorbed outlook towards the world (Alden, 2024), exclusively focused on the American national interests with incidental reaping by other states, if so trickles down. And that goes on with full American might up till now. However, the new Trump administration in its bid to obtain the much desired cessation of hostilities between the two belligerents – Russia and Ukraine – fighting an unrestrained fierce long battle for the past three years has gravely undermined the security and economic interests of Anglo-European world, particularly against the backdrop of the US switching towards Russia as well as China. It can be safely deduced that the US is even ready to abandon Europe and its security concerns as that now reflects in its evolving foreign policy modifications. “…President Emmanuel Macron of France and Prime Minister Kier Starmer of the United Kingdom had entertained hopes that they could charm and flatter Trump to restrain,…the recent meeting Zelenskyy has put paid to such pipe dreams.” (Ganguly, ibid.)  In fact, the Trump 2.0 administration considers itself as a part of an emerging global mainstream which is antithesis of the old conception of a liberal-democratic and progressive West. (Ganguly, ibid.)

Overturning US’ liberal-ideological and democratic state foundations!

As obvious what Trump and his team have in mind is nothing short of restructuring modern capitalism that emerged out of the 1929 global economic crisis and remaking the post-war international system led by the US. Thus, there is a decline of the West (Beeson, 2020) as there no longer looks a liberal “West” in terms that the world has been accustomed to using the epithet for the past few years and also after reassuming the US’ presidency by Donald Trump on. Such shift in Trump’s administration may possibly hurt the unity and strength the West and the NATO as well due to possible mutual bickering among alliance partners. Unfortunately, the US is no longer a liberal internationalist and progressive & democratic state. It is avowedly right-wing and seeks closer association with similar dispensation and political entities in other parts of the world, particularly Russia, China, Hungary and North Korea, apart from Iran, Lebanon and few more. It is indeed a mistake to consider that the new equations are manifestations of Trump 2.0 being a deal-maker and transactional. Rather he emerges out as an emphatic crusader running after the US’ economic interests to the extent of swallowing even national interests of UK, France or the other sovereign states of Europe including NATO members. Those who believe a US-Russia détente will drive a wedge between China and Russia may be disappointed. (Ganguly, 2025) This is why, the foreign policy and security arrangements under Trump, witnesses a dramatic change into the hitherto carried forward liberal progressive direction, thus overturning the ideological and strategic foundations of the American state and instead reincarnating imperialism in newer forms especially economic as trade wars, ideological as violation of human rights and even cultural one meaning thereby controlling the minds of people at large. “Trump’s aggressive economic and foreign policies indicate a concerted effort to dismantle multilateral alliances like BRICS, which were conceived to stand up to the US hegemony. His administration is threatening this coalition through economic coercion and diplomatic manoeuvring.” (Raja, 2025) Thus carrying ahead his trade deals that isolate BRICS members, Trump’s forcible slapping of sanctions on nation-states, challenging the US’ economic supremacy and using tariffs as a weapon, Trump is becoming vindictive to push the world towards the US’ dominated unipolar order. (Raja, ibid).

Europe, India & America

While President Trump’s attempt to occupy Gaza and mineral resources in Ukraine (Donovan, 2025), accompanied by the proposed increased Tariffs over sovereign states in Europe including India, have unnerved the European community apart from India and other states regarding fair trade practices and commercial activities among them, the revival of hegemonic capitalism and supremacy of overshadowing or all-encompassing American national interests over other nation-states, not only in Europe but in other regions of the world as well, again threatens the very core of liberal and democratic international norms, thereby retracing the unipolar world order once again. Both “India and the US have built up a solid, comprehensive and mutually supportive relationship which is unlikely to be diminished by Washington on reaching out to Moscow” (Saran, 2025) but the highly inhuman and barbaric treatment given to the Indian immigrants signals President Trumps’ arrogance and haughty attitude against India reminds us once again of the American colonial outlook vis-à-vis New Delhi as junior partner in South Asia, perhaps to satiate and counter-balance both China and Pakistan against India despite proclaiming overtly to the contrary. Although there is a “premium … with PM Narendra Modi’s visit to the White House … but the outcome of negotiations with the Trump Administration are not pretty…new understanding between Modi and Trump is the agreement to negotiate a free trade treaty.” (Saran, ibid) Further, the leaders in New Delhi will have to pursue its national-interests and “avoid being distracted by comments at the highest level in Washington. Unfortunately Trump 2.0 still does not see India as a big power in the same league as China and Russia.” (Saran, ibid).

Conclusion
Thus the so emerging global scenario demands from the international community to unite against the speedy erosion of the glorious tenets and cardinal values of the liberal, progressive and democratic international order that largely characterized the West’s Anglo-American international system with consolidating League of Nations and subsequently the United Nations after the end of the Ist and IInd World War respectively and their glorious Charters highlighting the collective voice of the international humanity through an all-agreed universal principle: “sovereign equality of nation-states”, which itself emerged out of the Peace Treaty of Westphalia, 1948, thereby restraining balkanization of Europe and establishing a strong foundation of the lasting peace in the Europe.  And they must revive this solemn spirit by exploring a pro-people alternative that challenges exploitative capitalism of all shades and forms on the one hand and the US led passion for brute imperialism by down sliding and even disowning the interests of West or Europe from its glorious position, thereby leading to the unipolar world order again, on the other. To counter the US’ imperialist designs co-terminous and overlapping with Russian and Chinese expansionist and neo-colonial goals, the nation-states in the Global South, particularly Argentina, India, Mexico, Brazil, South Africa and many other Non-Aligned Movement’s member-states, must strengthen the spirit of south-south cooperation and other instruments of regionalism, besides investing in worker-centric policies and rejecting neo-liberal frameworks sustaining Western economic interests at the cost of specific local development. Further a “renewed focus on strengthening multilateral institutions such as BRICS and the NAM and regional-trade agreements outside the US influence is necessary. Global trade policies must be restructured to prioritise fair labour-practices, environmental-protection and economic justice for developing nations” (Raja, 2025), apart from restraining the emerging differences between the US and the western European states in the overall interests of peace, security and liberal-democratic and progressive traditions of the West. One must not forget that equality, liberty, brotherhood, non-violence and peace etc. are the sole  cardinal features and universal values with which we humans are blessed, as only these can instill solace, comfort, peace and security among all of us to make our world meaningful with human lives enjoying substance in the true sense of the term, instead of serving the undemocratic and autocratic policies of both Russia and China and their cohorts especially North Korea, Hungary, Lebanon, Pakistan, Syria and Iran. These evil and failed states are not being discouraged and opposed by the US, for the reasons better known to President Trump 2.0, despite upholding mutually opposite ideologies viz. open-liberal-progressive democracy and closed autocratic – communist system supported by PLA in China and almost similar dispensation exists in Russia.