Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte meet and chat with each other in the Cross Hall of the White House in Washington, United States, August 18 2025.
Ukrainian Presidency | Anadolu | Getty Images
As 2026 begins with several unexpected geopolitical earthquakes, Europe appears woefully ill-prepared to deal with the upheaval of the old rules – and the new world order – created by US President Donald Trump.
Less than a week into the new year, the United States isn’t the only one deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and threatened Colombia, IranCuba and Mexico, but has also set its sights on take back the Danish territory of Greenlandpotentially using military force and threatening the very fabric and future of NATO.
Then there’s Ukraine, where efforts by European leaders this week to shore up security guarantees in a possible peace deal to end the war look like small fry as other potential territorial takeovers attract global attention.
Widely considered the “Old World” by the rest of the world, Europe appears to have fallen far behind other power blocs on several levels, with its sluggish economy and geopolitical isolation – and apparent helplessness – in stark contrast to optimistic regional superpowers like the United States, Russia and China.
Analysts say this is a dangerous moment for Europe and the existing international order, as the established rules-based international order is being torn apart.
“What happened in Venezuela and now let’s talk about Greenland or Cuba or Colombia, we are really heading into uncharted territory and we have to be extremely careful,” Wang Huiyao, founder and president of the Beijing-based Center for China and Globalization, told CNBC on Wednesday.
“The international community needs to work together now and probably put an end to this kind of unilateral approach. This is a wake-up call to European countries so closely allied with the United States, who are suddenly realizing that their fundamental foundations have been eroded and truly challenged.”
Europe senses dangerThere is no doubt that Europe is aware of the difficulties it finds itself in facing both the dangers of an ongoing war in Ukraine and an elusive peace deal, as well as the real possibility of a confrontation with the United States over Greenland, which belongs to EU and NATO member Denmark.
European leaders met on Tuesday to discuss security guarantees for Ukraine, but also issued a statement opposing any US territorial ambition on the Arctic island, insisting: “Greenland belongs to its people. It is up to Denmark and Greenland, and them alone, to decide matters concerning Denmark and Greenland. »
A wave of diplomatic tensions ensued on Wednesday morning, with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot saying he had spoken to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The French politician said Rubio had “ruled out the possibility that what happened in Venezuela would happen again in Greenland.”
Rubio reportedly told lawmakers during a closed-door briefing at the Capitol on Monday that the Trump administration did not intend to invade Greenland but aimed to buy it from Denmark, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNBC on Tuesday that the administration is considering “a range of options” to acquire Greenland – including “use of the US military”.
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Greenland and Denmark have requested a meeting with Rubio to discuss US intentions. On Monday, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned that “if the United States chooses to attack another NATO country, everything will stop.”
Existential crisis?This is not the first time the transatlantic partnership has appeared fragile under Trump’s leadership, with the president barely containing his disdain for Europe’s perceived shortcomings in recent years, including in defense spending, investment and economic prowess.
In December, the United States warned in its new national security strategy (NSS) that the region was facing oblivion. Trump then called European leaders “weak” and said the region was “in decline.”
European officials responded to Trump’s comments with irritationbut the uncomfortable question was whether the United States was right.
In its NSS, the United States cited the decline of the European economy, migration policies and the “loss of national identities and self-confidence” as reasons to worry the continent. He then warned that European countries were facing “civilizational erasure” and questioned whether they could “remain reliable allies.”
Ian Bremmer, founder and chairman of political risk consultancy Eurasia Group, told CNBC that Washington was essentially telling Europe not only what it already knew, but also what it was already trying to correct.
“Civilizational erasure” sounds offensive, but many European leaders – in France, Germany and Italy – have been raising similar concerns for years. In fact, EU migration policy has tightened considerably since then. [former Chancellor Angela] “Merkel’s open-door approach,” he told CNBC.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meets with US President Donald Trump during the 80th United Nations General Assembly, in New York, New York, USA, September 23, 2025.
Alexandre Drago | Reuters
“The main difference is that Europeans want to address these and other challenges by making Europe stronger, not by tearing it apart,” Bremmer said.
“European leaders see things as they are,” he added.
“If Washington is no longer aligned with Europe on the values that Europeans consider essential, then we can no longer count on the United States as an ally. This is an existential crisis for the transatlantic alliance… What the Europeans are prepared to do about it is another matter entirely.”