Trump Is Betting on the Wrong Europe
The far-right parties the White House favors have a foreign-policy agenda that won’t serve American interests.
Donald Trump is betting on the wrong European movements, according to recent developments. While the U.S. president claims to want a more capable Europe in defending itself, nationalist-populist parties like the Alternative for Germany (AfD) in Germany may undermine this objective and strain relations with the United States over China.
The AfD, which came close to securing a majority in recent regional elections, has made statements opposing Ukraine's defense and lifting sanctions on Russia. In France, Marine Le Pen, leader of the nationalist-populist National Rally party, has pledged to withdraw France from NATO's integrated military command. The Trump administration has embraced these parties as ideological allies, launching a State Department fund to support MAGA-aligned European groups.
However, their views on China and Russia may conflict with U.S. interests. If these parties gain power, they could reduce American influence in Europe, make European action on Russia and China more challenging, and raise concerns among Eastern Europeans about German rearmament.
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