This chapter is part of a report written in collaboration between the Center for American Progress and the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS).
Rep. Jason Crow (D) represents Colorado’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. A former Army Ranger and decorated veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Rep. Crow has become a leading voice in Congress on national security, democracy reform, and veterans’ issues.
The transatlantic alliance has been a cornerstone of collective security, democracy, and economic resilience for more than 70 years. The United States and its allies in Europe have stood together to confront tyranny, bolster democracy, and expand freedom. This partnership is a commitment to the idea that when democracies stand united, they can be the most powerful force for security, stability, human rights, and economic progress in the world.
Today, that commitment faces an unprecedented test—not just from Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the largest land war in Europe since World War II—but also from the Trump administration’s reckless behavior. If the rifts that President Donald Trump has created deepen, they will weaken the most successful alliance in modern history, leaving both America and Europe less secure and less prosperous. This chapter considers the state of the transatlantic alliance—and how it can move forward.
Strategic context
While the security and economic benefits of the transatlantic alliance are numerous, its strength has never been in shared interests alone. Instead, its strength has been rooted in shared values and a common vision for global security: that all nations regardless of size or resources should abide by a common set of rules and respect the sovereignty of others. The world has seen this shared vision in action many times. NATO and the broader U.S.-European alliance were central in defeating the Soviet Union, stopping genocide in the Balkans, and deterring Russian aggression in Ukraine. In the aftermath of September 11, European allies invoked NATO’s Article 5 for the first and only time, declaring an attack on the United States an attack on all. I served three combat tours overseas, including in Afghanistan, where I saw firsthandthat the NATO alliance is not charity. Men and women from NATO member nations fought and died alongside American troops in that theater, proving this alliance is not one-sided—it is a shared investment in collective security. That investment remains critical as the United States and Europe confront Russian aggression, Chinese military competition, rising far-right extremism, and the increasing militarization of space and cyberspace.
This alliance is not one-sided—it is a shared investment in collective security.
Yet President Trump is working relentlessly to weaken NATO. He has questioned its relevance, misrepresented alliance defense spending, and treated America’s security commitments as mere bargaining chips. It seems he views partnership only as a series of business transactions on a ledger. It is a small, one-dimensional way of thinking and the type of approach that adversaries have already discovered does not work well. Trump’s rhetoric and actions have sown distrust among America’s allies in Europe, diminishing NATO’s deterrent power. Worse, Trump’s vision for America is not just one of global retreat but of aggressive hypernationalism. He has openly talked about purchasing Greenland—a Danish territory and NATO ally—and even suggested annexing Canada into the United States.
A weakened transatlantic alliance will isolate the United States
The consequences of a weakened transatlantic alliance are profound. A fractured NATO would give Russia the opportunity to expand its influence beyond Ukraine, directly threatening the Baltics, Poland, and beyond. It would also force Europe to pull away from the many joint intelligence, law enforcement, and military operations that benefit Americans and make the nation safer. While the European Union and individual member states are investing to strengthen their defense capabilities, these initiatives will take more time, and without U.S. leadership, pulling back from U.S. commitments puts everyone at greater risk.
Support for Ukraine is the most visible test of Western unity, but it is not the only one. The broader challenge is whether the United States and Europe will remain strategically aligned in the decades ahead. Energy security, climate change, artificial intelligence, and technological dominance are all arenas where cooperation—or lack thereof—will shape global power structures. The hard truth is that if the United States retreats from leadership in these areas, Europe will have no choice but to look elsewhere. The United States will find itself isolated, weaker, and unable to help craft the new rules and standards for emerging technologies and markets.
For President Trump, cooperation seems to be a weakness and alliances seem to be a burden—but this is a dangerous belief, one that ultimately comes at the expense of American security and economic prosperity. His approach needlessly isolates the United States and leaves it less secure. Americans care about being safe from terrorist attacks and staying out of needless wars. Preserving the safety of Americans means working with allies to share valuable intelligence and to prioritize diplomacy—and deterrence, when necessary—to avoid armed conflict.
A divided West would hand China and other U.S. adversaries greater leverage in shaping global norms—particularly in trade, technology, and human rights—at the direct expense of democratic values. Beijing in particular would move swiftly to cement its influence, setting the rules of the global economy and expanding its authoritarian reach. Meanwhile, U.S. partners, left uncertain and exposed, would have no choice but to deepen economic and political ties with China. This would be a self-inflicted strategic disaster at the very moment when American leadership is most critical.
Advancing shared U.S.-Europe agendas
Restoring America’s credibility will require decisive action. American leaders, especially members of Congress, can act now, with or without the Trump administration. They need to reaffirm the value of international agreements that the Trump administration recklessly abandoned, from arms control treaties to climate commitments that affect global security. Congressional, business, and civil society leaders can also use their informal role in foreign policy to engage with foreign leaders, attend conferences, travel abroad, and show their commitment and interest in others despite the retrenchment of this administration. They must prove that America is a reliable partner by showing that America is much more than any one presidential administration and by working closely with allies to confront global challenges, from securing clean energy technologies to countering China’s economic influence and military expansionism.
American and European leaders also need to present a united front in countering the hybrid threats posed by authoritarian adversaries. Disinformation campaigns, cyber warfare, and election interference have targeted democratic institutions on both sides of the Atlantic. Strengthening intelligence sharing, cybersecurity cooperation, and joint initiatives to combat foreign influence operations will be critical to safeguarding democratic systems. Economic tools must be part of this strategy: The West should move toward coordinated sanctions and trade policies that prevent adversaries from exploiting loopholes between U.S. and European market. That includes pushing this administration to stop the chaotic tariff policy that is hitting America’s allies hard and throwing global markets into disarray.
To prevent a permanent rupture, a future U.S. administration should, as a matter of priority, reinforce its commitment to Europe beyond the crisis in Ukraine. That means reaffirming NATO’s Article 5, expanding joint military exercises, and investing in next-generation deterrence capabilities. It also means engaging in deeper economic coordination on trade, supply chains, and industrial policy so that partners are not left competing against one another while China consolidates global influence.
The Trump administration’s foreign policy weakens America, emboldens adversaries, and undermines democratic values. But this alliance is bigger than one administration. The United States and Europe must remain united—not only to counter today’s threats but to build a more secure and prosperous future. Ruptures in the transatlantic alliance cannot become a generational wound from which the West may never fully recover. Both sides of the Atlantic must choose strength over retreat, unity over division, and real leadership over chaos and weakness.