The Trump administration released its new U.S. National Defense Strategy (NDS) on Friday, which explicitly stated that Europe must “remain European” to protect its own and America’s interests, warning the continent is at risk of “civilizational erasure.”
The NDS said that while Europe’s economic troubles and shrinking world influence remain a problem, the potential for “civilizational erasure” was more pressing amid unchecked migration policies. The document at large marks a seismic shift in the U.S. foreign policy consensus, aiming to prioritize America’s backyard in South America under an “America First” framework.
“The larger issues facing Europe include activities of the European Union and other transnational bodies that undermine political liberty and sovereignty, migration policies that are transforming the continent and creating strife, censorship of free speech and suppression of political opposition, cratering birthrates, and loss of national identities and self-confidence,” the document reads. “Should present trends continue, the continent will be unrecognizable in 20 years or less.”
Europe has seen a massive surge in foreign-born residents over the last decade, with the share of foreign-born residents in the European Union (EU) reaching nearly 10% in 2024, according to EU statistics. The sudden influx of immigrants has given rise to multiple right-wing parties across Europe that have won major elections on anti-immigration policy.
The NDS reaffirms the longstanding U.S.–European relationship and its importance to Western world order, but says Europe must contribute much more to its own defense. The document also warns that the prospect of Europeans becoming minorities in NATO countries could cast doubt on their reliability as allies and change how those nations understand and value being allied with the United States.
“Over the long term, it is more than plausible that within a few decades at the latest, certain NATO members will become majority non-European,” the document reads. “As such, it is an open question whether they will view their place in the world, or their alliance with the United States, in the same way as those who signed the NATO charter.”
The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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