A DIVIDED WEST

As the liberal-democratic camp struggles to regroup, its illiberal adversaries are proving far more coordinated

- Laurence Nardon

After US Vice President JD Vance’s hostile speech at February's Munich Security Conference and President Donald Trump’s shameful treatment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during his Oval Office visit later that month, even the most naive Europeans were forced to confront a sobering reality: the US, under Trump, is no longer on their side.

To be sure, Trump's unpredictability leaves room for sudden policy reversals, particularly when it comes to the strongmen he openly admires. His recent criticism of Vladimir Putin suggests growing frustration with the Russian president’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine. Similarly, Trump has noticeably distanced himself from Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu, as evidenced by his overtures toward Iran and multibillion-dollar AIchip deals with Gulf states.

That said, it is clear that the transatlantic alliance has entered an especially difficult period -worse than during Trump’s first term. Notably, Trump’s attacks are not limited to specific countries and their leaders but extend to the EU itself. He despises the EU - a supranational, liberal project fundamentally incompatible with his nationalist worldview.