Trump and Transatlantic Relations: Decoupling from the US is not an Option

Slightly revised version of an essay first published in the column 'Understanding America' in the German daily newspaper 'Koelner Stadtanzeiger' on May 16, 2025.

Relations between the US and Europe were already rather poor during Donald Trump's first term in office. Trump repeatedly complained about his country’s high trade deficit with the European Union (EU) and criticized Europe’s insufficient military contributions. He even considered pulling Washington out of NATO. Trump repeatedly stated that the EU was “of course founded to take advantage of the USA.” And he was determined not to “put up with that” any longer.

Yet it was the US that had urged German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman in 1949/1950 to finally create a stable and peaceful Europe by setting up the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) which would gradually lead to a more comprehensive European Economic Community (EEC).

In his second term in office, Trump's negative attitude has not changed. In fact, it has become worse. The Europeans, crudely awakened by Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Trump's harsh criticism, have made great efforts to significantly increase their military spending. However, the EU still has a large trade surplus in goods with the US. It currently amounts to over $260 billion. That's 13 percent more than in 2023, and the trend is still rising. American consumers simply like European products and are happy to buy them. Trump, however, is convinced that the Europeans are ripping off the US. High tariffs are needed to make up for this, he believes. The Europeans are “very, very tough trading partners,” Trump keeps saying, who constantly cheat on the US and are even worse than the Chinese.

A new ideological component - is the Constitution still relevant?

In the meantime, an ideological component represented by Trump's Vice President J.D. Vance has also been added to the complex transatlantic relationship, which did not exist before to this extent. The Trump administration is essentially a rather right-extreme government that does not shy away from undermining the basic democratic order of the US. On occasion it even considers abolishing part of this order. On an almost daily basis the Trump administration circumvents and ignores existing legislation, court decisions and even the US Constitution. In a recent interview with the television station NBC Trump replied to the question whether as president he did not have to abide by the Constitution with the words: “I don't know.” He declared that he had plenty of brilliant lawyers in the White House to advise him on such matters.

When asked whether every person in the US, including those suspected of illegal immigration, had the right to due process, the president explained. “I don't know. I'm not a lawyer. I don't know.” However, the 5th Amendment of the US Constitution clearly states that “no person” - whether citizen or alien - shall be deprived of “life, liberty, or property” without due process of law.

Instead, the Trump administration is currently considering suspending the centuries-old right to habeas corpus by presidential executive order. In the common law which is customary in Anglo-Saxon countries this is the right of every defendant to have the reasons for his or her arrest reviewed by a court. Most lawyers are agreed that only Congress may suspend habeas corpus and only, as Article 1 of the US Constitution states, “in cases of rebellion or invasion, when the public safety of the country shall require it.” President Lincoln suspended habeas corpus in 1861 and 1862 during the American Civil War and even at this time, in the middle of a serious military conflict, he was heavily criticized for doing so.

Was J.D. Vance in a bad mood?

The extreme stance of the Trump administration was made clear not least by Vice President Vance's speech at the Munich Security Conference in February 2025 - almost exactly one week before the general elections in Germany. Vance argued in a very similar way to the Putin-friendly extreme right-wing party Alternative for Germany (AfD) claiming that Europe's greatest enemies did not consist of Russia or China. Europe, Vance argued, was primarily threatened by its internal problems, such as the allegedly increasing lack of democracy, compromised free elections and a lack of freedom of expression on the European continent. The EU should also finally stop mass immigration to Europe.

Vance’s speech in Munich, delivered in a bitter and brusque manner, was seen by many experts as a “turning point” in transatlantic relations. The end of the close and trusting alliance with the USA seemed to have arrived.

But then last week, Vance gave another speech to a smaller version of the Munich Security Conference in Washington DC. And this time the Vice President was surprisingly conciliatory. Of course, the USA and Europe were still “on the same team” and closely linked by their shared culture and civilization, he said. Even if there were sometimes disputes and Europe could do a lot better, especially with regard to its security policy, it was completely ridiculous to believe that a “rough wedge” could be driven between the transatlantic allies.

What are we to make of all this? Had Vance simply slept badly in February and recovered his good humor last week? Is there perhaps no deep crisis in transatlantic relations at all? Such a conclusion, however, would be a quite wrong. All the domestic and foreign policy actions of the Trump administration point to the extreme orientation of this unusual and often irrational government.

Decoupling from the US is completely unrealistic

Nevertheless, the EU countries and the EU Commission have no choice but to try to maintain respectful relations and also somehow continue the transatlantic alliance. Regardless of all well-intentioned French-driven ambitions to achieve “strategic autonomy” and all sensible efforts towards the development of a truly independent and sovereign Europe, decoupling from the USA is not an option. This is completely unrealistic. In terms of security policy, including nuclear policy and intelligence matters, but also regarding economic and trade relations, it is simply still not possible for Europe to do without the United States.

But that does not mean that the EU countries should pursue a policy of appeasement towards Trump. The strategy of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum point in the right direction. The EU must also show a willingness to cooperate, behave flexibly and treat Trump and his cabinet members with respect.

But the EU should certainly not allow itself to be pushed around. After all, it is well known that bullies don't respect a strategy of appeasement. But it seems that the EU Commission and the new German government led by Chancellor Friedrich Merz and most other European governments have fully understood this. They need to face up to the Trump administration with self-confidence and strength and take energetic action against Trump's aggressive tariff policy but they also should avoid a too conflictual relationship, if they can help it, and steer clear of open disputes in the Oval Office.