WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Barely a month into his presidency, had a message for Europe.
鈥淎merica is back,鈥� Biden told the Munich Security Conference in 2021. 鈥淭he transatlantic alliance is back.鈥�
It was a promise Biden delivered often as he sought to cast the disruptions of his predecessor, , as an anomaly. But nearly five years later, Biden’s assurances have proven short-lived.
In his second term, Trump has cast aside alliances forged over seven decades with Europe that helped lead to the reunification of Germany and the collapse of the Soviet Union. He has hectored leaders, and leveling accusations more commonly associated with enemies. In the process, he has rocked the stability that has sustained the relationships and left countries to chart a course without U.S. leadership.
The most stark example of this shift has been Trump’s threat to take over , dismissing the nation as a large 鈥減iece of ice鈥� as he demanded that Denmark cede control to the U.S., a move that could have caused NATO to rupture.
He called Denmark, which had the among coalition forces in Afghanistan, 鈥渦ngrateful鈥� for U.S. protection during World War II. He that showed European leaders trying to court him. Trump shared images of him planting the U.S. flag in Greenland and, in an extraordinary speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, said Europe was 鈥渘ot heading in the right direction.鈥� At one point, he said that 鈥渟ometimes you need a dictator.鈥�
Then, hours later, he a 鈥渇ramework of a future deal鈥� on Arctic security. Following a long pattern, however, he offered scant details.
An uncertain standing for the US in the world
Though Trump has for now backed away from his most potent threats to obtain Greenland, the episode has left America’s standing in the world uncertain.
NATO leaders already were responding to Trump’s threats by signaling strategies that don’t include the U.S. That could make it much harder for the next president 鈥� whether they are a Democrat or Republican 鈥� to attempt the same type of reputational repair that Biden sought.
鈥淭o an extent, things can be improved,鈥� said Jon Finer, who was Biden’s deputy national security adviser and is now a distinguished senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. 鈥淏ut they will never be the same in large part because I think any country that is behaving rationally in terms of its relationship with the United States will realize that we can only be counted on in four year increments, if at all.”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who parried Trump’s gambit to make Canada the 51st state, has already set out on a more independent path. In Davos, Carney was candid that the notion of the longstanding rules-based order was an 鈥渋llusion.鈥�
鈥淟et me be direct: We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition,鈥� Carney said as he called on so-called middle powers to 鈥渁ct together.鈥�
Unable to reach a deal with Trump to cut tariffs, Carney was in Beijing last week meeting with President Xi Jinping and that cut levies on Chinese electric cars in return for lower tariffs on certain agricultural and food products including Canadian canola, lobsters and crab. While there, were 鈥渕uch more multifaceted鈥� than with Beijing, but added 鈥渢he way our relationship has progressed in recent months with China, it is more predictable.鈥�
Over the weekend, the European Union and the Mercosur bloc of South American countries a long-sought , which European Commission President portrayed as a bulwark against the Trump administration. EU lawmakers on Wednesday to hold up the deal for now.
European leaders were unsparing
Ahead of Trump’s appearance in Davos, European leaders were unsparing, using language that until recently would have been unthinkable in relation to a dispute with the U.S. French President cautioned against colonial adventures, warning of 鈥渁 shift towards a world without rules.鈥�
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said 鈥渟o many red lines have been crossed,鈥� adding, 鈥渂eing a happy vassal is one thing. Being a miserable slave is something else. If you back down now, you鈥檙e going to lose your dignity.鈥�
This moment was also notable for the criticism of Trump from longtime allies on the right. In the UK, said in an interview with U.S. House Speaker that he understood the security issues Trump was raising in the Arctic. But he added that Trump’s approach amounted to the 鈥渂iggest fracture鈥� in the transatlantic relationship in decades.
鈥淭o have a U.S. president threatening tariffs unless we agree that he can take over Greenland, by some means, without it seems even getting the consent of the people of Greenland, I mean, this is a very hostile act,鈥� Farage told Johnson.
Jordan Bardella, president of Marine Le Pen鈥檚 far-right National Rally party in France and a European Parliament lawmaker, posted that the EU should suspend last year鈥檚 tariff deal with the U.S., describing Trump鈥檚 threats as 鈥渃ommercial blackmail.鈥�
Trump mostly has support from GOP in Congress
Congressional Republicans so far have largely supported Trump 鈥� or stayed silent.
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast likened the dispute to 鈥渁 hard conversation” and questioned the long-term consequences. Trump used his 2025 State of the Union address to express a desire to .
鈥淚f you went back exactly one year, you might say, 鈥榤an the tensions with Panama were the worst they鈥檇 ever been,’鈥� said Mast, a Florida Republican. 鈥淧anama came in last week, things were the best that they’d ever been because we had some really tough conversations with each other that we needed to have.鈥�
The most pointed concerns from inside the GOP have largely come from those who aren’t running for reelection this year, including Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, who said on Wednesday that 鈥渁ll of this has been totally unnecessary.鈥�
鈥淭hreatening Greenland with force was absurd,鈥� he said.
For their part, Democrats have encouraged a more robust response 鈥� both from Europe and in the U.S.
California Gov. , a potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2028, was in Davos this week and blasted Europeans for focusing on diplomatic efforts ahead of Trump’s appearance.
鈥淒iplomacy with Donald Trump?鈥� he said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a T-Rex. You mate with him or he devours you.鈥�
In an interview, Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said it 鈥渕ay take some time鈥� for a future president to rebuild trust with allies. But he argued a full recovery in global relationships may require a more lasting shift in U.S. politics.
Allies will 鈥渃ontinue to hold their breath until you have two consecutive elections when we know we have a president that is going to stick by our institutions,鈥� he said. 鈥淓verybody’s just looking at us now as a nation and trying to see where we will be.鈥�
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Associated Press writers Rob Gillies in Toronto, Sam McNeil in Brussels and John Leicester in Paris contributed to this report.
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