Disagreements will persist between the US and Europe throughout the Donald Trump administration, asserts Ling Shengli, an associate professor of international relations at China Foreign Affairs University, writing for Haiwainet.cn, a news site owned by People’s Daily.
Diplomatic relations between the US and Europe have become more antagnoistic since Trump took office, Ling says. While Europe still values multilateralism and rules, the Trump administration’s protectionist tendencies have provoked concern and conflict, the scholar says.
Meanwhile the US complains about Europe’s apparently unfair share of responsibility for their alliance. It has asked Europe to pay more for US military protection, Ling says. In particular the US has criticized Europe’s inadequate efforts in the Middle East and attempted to mobilize more European resources to back up its strategy in the region.
Europe's reduced strategic importance to the US is at the heart of the estrangement, Ling believes. After the twin blows of economic recession and Brexit, Europe is now less important to US global strategy, the scholar says. In both the Asia Pacific and the Middle East the US is receiving inadequate strategic support from Europe, he says.
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