In America: New US National Security Strategy Could Undermine EU & NATO
Throughout its history the United States has worked to develop strong bonds with other nations. The US has provided an immense amount of foreign aid to support healthy political and financial relationships. The use of this aid has resulted in European nations becoming dependent on NATO’s assistance for their defense and security. The United States’ National Security Strategy (NSS) is creating an unhistoric change in the United States’ relationship with NATO. The US will prioritize itself over Europe and potentially cut funding in NATO forcing European countries to become independent.
NATO, The US, & The EU
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an international military alliance from 76 years ago. It consists of 32 member states that work towards a collective effort to provide defenses against global threats. The European Union is an alliance of 27 countries in Europe where members collaborate in policies, law, and economic structures for the union. This unity creates strength through numbers. For NATO, unity is crucial for collective defense and its ability to change. Despite there being 23 European countries in NATO, the United States contributes the most financially. In 2025, the United States alone spent $980 billion in defense spending to NATO. This number represents nearly 2/3rds of NATO’s defense expenditure. Members of NATO rely deeply on the shared investments to collaborate and grow as nations.
The United States historically used Europe as a central partner in international defense policy. As potential adversaries like Russia and China become more developed, they deem to be a bigger threat through invasion and forceful expansion of their political ideologies. By investing into NATO, the US was supporting Europe’s ability to protect itself against global threats. Over time, the collective incentives from NATO have created an environment for European members to become reliant on NATO as an external source to handle their defense capabilities and security strategy. This dependency has structured these countries’ politics, its leaders, and the EU according to the NSS.
The National Security Strategy & Its Impact
The United States’ National Security Strategy will deprioritize Europe. The NSS insinuates the United States may cut funding in NATO to prioritize domestic or international programs that align with US political ideology. The US will now approach international relationships transactionally instead of the former alliance-based leadership that the NSS believes allowed NATO European countries to become reliant on foreign aid for their defense capabilities.
The NSS asserts that Europe is facing a stark prospect of civilizational erasure. The NSS blames the European Union, other transnational bodies, immigration, and suppression of political oppositions for undermining political liberty and cultural continuity in Europe. The corrosion of independence, the NSS claims, has enabled the internal weaknesses in NATO European countries making them incapable of standing independently and pose as vulnerable to external threats. In order for NATO member European countries to become self-reliant, the NSS says it will encourage nationalist movements within these countries’ politics.
European Disapproval of NSS
Many NATO members and European Parliament leaders have shared their disapproval of the NSS. Dissenting groups view the NSS as a reversal in historical alliances that have protected Europe as a whole and secured political democracy against authoritarian threats in Europe.
Germany’s Manfred Weber, belonging to the largest faction of EU’s European Parliament, views the United States as being in a highly important position established after the Second World War. In Weber’s eyes, the US is a protector of democracy and collective security for the world. He sees the NSS as the US withdrawing from this responsibility leaving Europe at risk of attacks from powerful adversaries.
Weber accused the US of “abandoning its role as leader of the free world.”
Spain’s Iratxe García, from the second largest faction of the European Parliament, believes the NSS makes Europe viewed as an obstacle to the US instead of a partner.
García said the NSS implies “Europe has ceased to be an ally and has become an adversary.”
President of the European Council António Costa brought attention to the United States traditionally being Europe’s strongest ally. He sees the NSS being hostile to European institutions and undermining European unity and security. He believes that Europe must prepare for the future where the US will not protect them from potentially hostile threats and the US may even be considered one as well.
Costa warned that Europe must now “protect themselves even against the allies who defy them.”
The NSS puts a heavy burden on European countries to develop and protect themselves. The destabilization of the European Union could fragment NATO and its collective defense principle. The United States is a critical partner in funding allowing NATO to coordinate defense and policy.
Does the United States have a moral responsibility to keep its role in NATO? Will adversaries attack Europe because of the impending effects of the National Security Strategy? Will the National Security Strategy destroy the NATO Alliance and the European Union?
