Europe Reacts Strongly to New US Security Strategy

EU Criticism After US Security Strategy Stirs Controversy

In early December 2025, the United States government released a new 2025 United States National Security Strategy that has drawn fierce reactions across Europe. The 33-page document describes Europe as politically and socially weakened — warning of “civilisational erasure,” and suggesting the US should “cultivate resistance to Europe’s current trajectory within European nations.”

What the Strategy Says About Europe

According to the document:

It criticizes Europe’s migration policies, low birthrates, alleged suppression of political opposition, and “erosion of national identities,” framing these as causes for a looming “civilisational decline.”
It argues longtime European allies have become unreliable, hinting that demographic and political trends may render some NATO members “unrecognisable” in a few decades.
It offers support (direct or indirect) to nationalist and Eurosceptic political forces in Europe that the US deems more aligned with its vision.

European Leaders Push Back

The response from Europe has been swift and resolute:

António Costa, President of the European Council, denounced the strategy as an unacceptable interference in European democratic processes. He stressed that “only European citizens” should decide their political future.
Officials in Germany echoed the sentiment. The German government rejected outside lecturing on democracy and civil liberties, saying such matters are domestic and not subject to foreign oversight.
Many European leaders argued that labeling Europe as weak and in decline — and backing far-right political movements — undermines the foundations of transatlantic partnership, not strengthens them.

Why This Matters

This marks a dramatic shift in how Washington characterizes its oldest allies in Europe:

The strategy recasts Europe not as a strong bloc or partner, but as a region in decline needing “correction.” That undermines decades of US-led cooperation under shared democratic and security values.
By elevating far-right and nationalist parties in Europe — under the guise of “restoring civilisation” — the US risks fueling internal divisions within EU countries and weakening the EU’s political unity.
The document’s stance could reshape NATO dynamics and challenge the future of European collective defense, especially if cooperation is reframed around national rather than continental interests.

What Europeans Are Calling For

European leaders — including Costa and Germany’s top officials — demand that the US respect European sovereignty and democratic processes. Many now argue that Europe must accelerate efforts to manage its own security, politics, and future without external instructions.

For many in Brussels, the 2025 US National Security Strategy isn’t just a policy paper — it represents a wake-up call. A call for Europe to assert its autonomy, defend its values, and chart its own path ahead.