Report | Rethinking EU-US relations after the EP and US elections: Views from Central Europe (and beyond)

The outcome of the US presidential elections brings EU-US relations to a critical crossroads, with concrete challenges emerging in trade, security, or climate policy. On the political and security front, NATO’s cohesion comes at the forefront of the relations as the EU faces uncertainty about the US commitment to its leadership role or a possible reduced military involvement on the European continent. This can have an immediate impact on the support of Ukraine in its fight against the full-scale Russian invasion, as well as on Ukraine’s path towards the EU and NATO memberships. Furthermore, EU-US relations will be tested by its different approaches to China, with the Trump administration possibly pushing the EU to align with the positions of the US.

Trump’s transactional approach was seen as both a challenge and an opportunity for the EU. While  his  emphasis  on  defence  spending  and  burden-sharing  within  NATO  could  strain transatlantic  ties,  it  also  presents  a  chance  for  the  EU  to assert  its  strategic  priorities and leverage its current investments and economic cooperation with the US in key sectors. 

Read the whole report below.