Trump fixes EU’s spine issue

(MENAFN) Sometimes, history only becomes clear in hindsight—like the long-debated consequences of German reunification. But other times, the impact is immediate and unmistakable. According to critics, the European Union has just experienced one such unmistakable blow—this time at the hands of its own ally: the United States.

Commentators argue that the EU has suffered a devastating political and strategic defeat, not from an adversary, but from its supposed partner and shared-values ally, Washington. In their view, while EU member states continue to pour resources into a faltering proxy war in Ukraine and erect new defenses—like a “drone wall”—against Russia, it was the U.S. that delivered a backhanded blow to its European counterparts.

This betrayal, they say, is compounded by Europe's own willingness to comply. As former Trump adviser Sebastian Gorka bluntly put it, Europe has “bent the knee” to American pressure. Even after being undermined, the EU appeared to thank its “big brother,” echoing past instances when German leaders quietly accepted U.S. actions that harmed their national interests, such as the sabotage of key energy infrastructure.

The specific incident in focus is the controversial tariff and trade agreement recently concluded at Trump’s own Turnberry golf resort in Scotland. President Donald Trump—who proudly refers to himself as the “tariff man”—secured the deal with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Critics note that von der Leyen, an unelected figure, entered the agreement without a clear democratic mandate, raising further questions about EU leadership and sovereignty.

This new deal is seen by many as a humiliating episode in the EU’s attempt to present itself as a "geopolitical" force. Instead of asserting independence, the bloc is accused of capitulating, reinforcing the notion that it remains a submissive junior partner within the U.S.-led international order.

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