President Donald Trump’s administration has warned that Europe faces “civilisational erasure” and questioned whether certain nations can remain reliable allies, in a new strategy document that puts a particular focus on the continent.

The 33-page National Security Strategy sees the US leader outline his vision for the world and how he will wield US military and economic power to work towards it.

Trump described the document as a “roadmap” to ensure America remains “the greatest and most successful nation in human history”.

European politicians have begun to react, with Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul saying his country did not need “outside advice”.

A formal National Security Strategy is typically released by presidents once each term. It can form a framework for future policies and budgets, as well as signalling to the world where the president’s priorities lie.

The new document follows similar rhetoric to Trump’s speech to the United Nations earlier this year, where he had harsh criticism for Western Europe and its approach to migration and clean energy.

The new report doubles down on Trump’s point of view, calling for the restoration of “Western identity”, combatting foreign influence, ending mass migration, and focusing more on US priorities such as stopping drug cartels.

Focusing on Europe, it asserts that if current trends continue the continent would be “unrecognisable in 20 years or less” and its economic issues are “eclipsed by the real and more stark prospect of civilizational erasure”.

“It is far from obvious whether certain European countries will have economies and militaries strong enough to remain reliable allies,” the document states.

It also accused the European Union and “other transnational bodies” of carrying out activities that “undermine political liberty and sovereignty”, said migration policies were “creating strife” and said other issues included “censorship of free speech and suppression of political opposition, cratering birthrates, and loss of national identities and self-confidence”.

Conversely, the document hails the growing influence of “patriotic European parties” and says “America encourages its political allies in Europe to promote this revival of spirit”.

The Trump administration has fostered links with the far-right AfD party in Germany, which has been classified as extreme right by German intelligence.

The document says there must be a readjustment of “our global military presence to address urgent threats in our Hemisphere”. To do this, the strategy calls for moving assets away from theatres which are less important to American national security than they once were.

This re-prioritising of military power can be seen already in the Caribbean, where the US military has a growing presence and has carried out repeated deadly strikes on boats which the government alleges are carrying drugs. The world’s largest warship, the USS Gerald Ford, is currently based in the Caribbean along with its strike group.

  • CircaV@lemmy.ca
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    18 hours ago

    What a fucking incoherent sundowning douche canoe. Wouldn’t recognize civilization if it slapped him in the orange fake tan face. STFU grandpa and go back to your dementia ward.