The UK’s gamble to win over Donald Trump with royal splendor in September 2025 ended in a strategic humiliation for Europe. Completely immune to pomp and diplomatic pressure, Trump confirmed a cut in security aid to NATO’s eastern flank. He transformed the alliance into a pay-for-protection racket, handing Europe the « bill. » The visit, deemed a resounding failure, formalized the end of the « special relationship » and exposed a gaping fracture within the West.

For experts, it’s an existential alarm bell: Europe is now on its own, forced to urgently rethink its strategic autonomy in the face of an unpredictable American ally. This brutal clarification demonstrates the utter failure of European soft power against the « America First » doctrine, marking the dawn of a new era of uncertainty for transatlantic security.