America Commits Cultural Suicide
Earlier this month, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov provided a brief description of the new National Security Strategy (NSS) adopted by the Trump administration, describing it as “largely consistent with our vision.” He is right. The National Security Strategy does not offer even a hint of criticism towards Russia, neither for its increasingly authoritarian domestic policies nor for its blatant military aggression against Ukraine. Instead, it reserves a remarkable degree of disdain for Europe—America’s long-standing democratic friend and ally.
While it’s true that Trump’s first administration, when it issued the National Security Strategy in 2017, was verbose about state sovereignty trumping all else, that document still acknowledged the value of America’s allies. It stated that “the United States and Europe will work together to counter Russian subversion and aggression.” Furthermore, this effort was in line with a broader strategy of “great power competition,” in which the threat from China loomed large.
Since then, Russia has launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the threat from China has become more pronounced. However, the second Trump administration exhibits submission to Russia, criticizes Europeans, and views the threat from China solely in economic terms. It’s evident that great power competition has given way to a good-neighborly partnership among major powers. The United States now claims it is more interested in “stability,” which it assumes can be achieved through collaboration with Russian President Vladimir Putin and through a “Group of Two” (G2) with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The implicit message is that the major powers think alike, each wanting its own sphere of influence and valuing power over principles.
As noted by many commentators, the American National Security Strategy represents a revolutionary departure from the policies and principles the United States has adhered to in the past. It envisions a return to a focus on the Western Hemisphere, suggesting that profits will come before principles in almost every issue. For instance, the Middle East is primarily viewed as an investment destination. Policy may be complex, but making business deals is straightforward.
The loud denunciation of Europe is conspicuously clear, particularly due to the flaws in the core argument. The National Security Strategy claims that “some NATO member countries will become majority non-European in a few decades,” and that Europe, doomed to “civilizational extinction” (a phrase many believe originated from Vice President J.D. Vance), cannot be a trustworthy ally. This, however, is pure deceit. There is not a single European country where “non-Europeans” are projected to become a majority anytime in the foreseeable future. This includes the country with the largest percentage of Muslims: Russia.
This odious rhetoric comes directly from the mouths of extremist Europeans. It is simply astonishing that such discourse forms the foundation of how America engages with its strongest and closest allies. Now, the Trump administration is unhesitant to intervene in the domestic politics of European countries to bolster “nationalist” forces—those promoting the very same racist nonsense. In fact, even Russia has not been as explicit about its intent to meddle in European democratic processes.
It remains to be seen what this situation will lead to. Aligning with Trump is not exactly a winning election strategy, and thus the efforts made by the United States to intervene in Europe may prove just as unsuccessful as Russia’s. However, they could be more damaging given the current tensions in transatlantic relations.
Certainly, Europeans have their fair share of problems. We desperately need to revive the spirit of initiative, competitiveness, global trade, strengthen our defenses, and expand our successful continental integration project. Managing immigration is undoubtedly a massive challenge, just as it is in the United States.
Yet, broadly speaking, we are highly successful societies, and we should not overlook that. Assassination attempts and political violence are extremely rare here. We do not have politically charged mobs storming our parliaments. Our democracies remain open and vibrant, and most of them rank at the top of global press freedom indices. Our incarceration rates are one-fifth of those in the United States, and our homicide rates represent a minuscule fraction of those in America. We do not face massive trade deficits with the rest of the world. Our health systems provide better outcomes and longer life expectancies compared to anywhere else, and overall, EU member states boast a better-educated population.
We are certainly not at risk of “extinction,” as the National Security Strategy absurdly claims. In reality, few places on Earth offer a better quality of life for a larger share of their populations than Europe. Instead of trying to placate Trump’s America, we must stand tall, renew our commitment to our values, and cling to the hope that the ideological confusion across the Atlantic will soon dissipate. Otherwise, it will not be us committing cultural suicide.
