The growing rift between the United States and European countries during Donald Trump’s first presidential term

Abstract

This article analyzes the escalation of tensions that arose between the United States and its European allies during the first presidency of Donald Trump. For many decades, transatlantic relations have been based on a strategic partnership. However, with the beginning of the Trump era, they changed significantly. In his first term, Trump, who was guided by an “America First” agenda, embarked on a policy of political isolationism and economic protectionism as the best way to secure America’s national interests, which resulted in the emergence of disagreements and contradictions with the national interests of European countries. Throughout Trump’s first term, the crisis evolved considerably, acquiring new dimensions. Its major flashpoints were the White House’s criticism of European integration and the unleashing of a tariff war against Europe. When Trump returned to the presidency for his second term, the future of transatlantic cooperation was brought again into the spotlight as a pressing issue, and there is every reason to believe that the existing transatlantic disagreements might persist or even intensify in the future.