Trump and JD Vance are clear: the US is no longer an ally, but an antagonist to democratic valuesIn 1966, after years of friction with the US over whether France should have its own independent nuclear deterrent, the French president, Charles de Gaulle, withdrew his country from Nato’s integrated command (not, however, from the alliance itself – a common misconception) and asked all US forces stationed in France to leave. In response, the US secretary of state, Dean Rusk, asked de Gaulle: “Does that include the dead Americans in military cemeteries as well?”In a single weekend, JD Vance’s direct attacks on European democracy at the Munich Security Conference and his meeting with far-right, anti-European political forces in Germany, have given de Gaulle his historic vindication.Alexander Hurst is a Guardian Europe columnist Continue reading...
The article posits that the concept of the "west" as a cohesive entity has dissolved, particularly under the Trump administration. It references historical events, such as Charles de Gaulle's 1966 withdrawal from NATO, to highlight Europe's growing autonomy. The text argues that the US, under Trump and figures like JD Vance, has become an antagonist to democratic values, engaging in undemocratic actions and fostering a techno-nihilist oligarchy. Europe's perception of the US has shifted, with only 22% viewing it as an ally. The article concludes that Europe must now operate independently, as the US's unpredictability and internal turmoil render it an unreliable partner, even if Trump's tenure ends. This marks a definitive end to the "west" as a coherent force.