The second Trump presidency will in many ways be unique, but Europeans will likely still pursue the short-term tactics of keeping a low profile or enhancing bilateralism with the United States (US). Europeans may try to play President Trump at his own game through transactionalism, or to engage with China and others to hedge against Washington, but there are grave risks in pursuing these lines. The European Union (EU) needs to be bold in planning for life after President Trump. This calls for far greater defence spending, supporting Ukraine and lowering energy and technology dependencies.

CSDS Policy Brief, 2/2025

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