Abstract:

President Of The USA Donald Trump pressures NATO’s spending over European countries. The new German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has signaled a stronger emphasis on defense and a more proactive European role for Germany. After Poland increases NATO spending for the Russian threat. Generally, Eastern countries support Donald Trump against the Russian threat because they see Donald Trump pressuring NATO about spending, and according to Eastern countries, he wants to protect against the Russian threat. The Western European countries see an enemy of Donald Trump. And they advocate Joe Biden’s policies.

In Europe, the US is becoming more of a necessary partner, ally, or friend. Eastern countries support Donald Trump. And West European countries support Joe Biden’s policies. This situation is lacking in confidence that the US will be defended. Europe is a powerful driver for increased European defense spending as pressure from the US. For instance, Poland increases NATO spending, and Poland has become the country with the highest NATO spending in Europe.

The return of Trump represents a turning point in Europe–US relations. Since, despite a measure of reprieve, signaled by the successful NATO Summit in The Hague in June, 2025. This is perhaps the beginning of the end for the transatlantic alliance. European views of the US were already changing before Trump’s return. As stated by the DIIS 2024, the Trump presidency reshaped transatlantic relations. According to the DIIS pool, shortly after the US elections in November 2024, a poll of nine EU countries showed that only 22% viewed the US as an ally showing interest and values, whereas 51% viewed it as a necessary partner. Two years earlier, these figures were 31% and 41%, respectively. With these results in international relations, trust in the USA decreased. And these situations cause harm to transatlantic relations. In Western Europe, the US was relatively popular during the Biden years. On the other hand, old president of the USA Joe Biden did not put so much pressure for NATO spending; instead, America spent more for EU protection.

Baltic countries and Eastern European countries spend money for NATO, but other Western countries spend more money on the economy and diplomacy. Therefore, Donald Trump complains about this situation. The reason for these results For example, the Ukrainian War and Russian War. Western European countries have been trading with the USA. Considering Trump’s about –face on these issues, it should come as no surprise that these countries are now amongst the most skeptical of the US under Trump. Some of Europe’s right-wing see the Trump administration in a positive light. DIIS emphasizes that this dynamic is strongest in Eastern European countries.  Because in these countries, like Hungary, the president is Viktor Orban, who supported Trump’s anti-multilateral policy and strong national interest discourse.  Trump finds greatest support in Hungary where Prime Minister  Viktor Orban openly supported Trump during the US presidential election due to poor relations under Biden. We can see the US elections influenced Transatlantic relations and Trump’s influence in transatlantic relations is always controversial.

To sum up, president of the USA Donald Trump still not understanding with Western EU but Western Europe near realtions with still Biden’s Policy.

Sources

• DANISH INSTITUTE FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
• Timothy Garton Ash, Ivan Krastev & Mark Leonard, ‘Alone in a Trumpian world: The EU and global public opinion after the US elections’, European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), January 2025.
• Le Grand Continent, ‘Baromètre de l’opinion publique européenne: “Quelle défense pour l’Europe?”.’ March 2025.
• Jana Puglierin, Arturo Carvelli & Pawel Zerka, ‘Transatlantic twilight: European public opinion and the long shadow of Trump’, ECFR, February 2025.
• Ádám Kerényi, ‘The US and the future of Europe: is there a quest for Plan B in Budapest?’ In Michael Kaeding, Johannes Pollak & Paul Schmidt (eds.), The United States and the Future of Europe: Views from the Capitals, 61–64, Springer, 2025.
• Julius Lehtinen, ‘US election: Europeans would vote for Harris if they could – but there’s a wide gulf between East and West’, Europe Elects, 4 November 2024.