The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has warned that Europe is facing a “civilizational extinction”, raising doubts about whether several countries can remain reliable allies, according to a new strategic document that places unprecedented focus on the continent, the BBC reported on Friday.
The 33-page National Security Strategy outlines Trump’s worldview and how the United States intends to use its military and economic power accordingly.
Trump has described the document as a “guidebook” designed to ensure the U.S. remains “the greatest and most successful nation in human history.”
European officials have begun reacting, with Germany’s Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul stating that his country “does not need external advice.”
Published once per presidential term, the National Security Strategy often shapes future policy directions, funding priorities, and signals a president’s international agenda.
A Harsh Assessment of Europe
The new report echoes Trump’s earlier speech at the United Nations, in which he sharply criticized Western Europe’s approach to migration and clean energy.
According to the strategy:
- If current trends continue, Europe will be “unrecognizable in 20 years or less.”
- The continent’s economic problems are described as overshadowed by the “real and darker prospect of civilizational disappearance.”
- It questions whether some European states will have strong enough economies and militaries to remain trustworthy allies.
The document also accuses the European Union and other transnational bodies of undermining “freedom and political sovereignty,” claiming that current migration policies are creating conflict, while listing further concerns such as:
- censorship of free speech,
- suppression of political opposition,
- declining birth rates,
- loss of national identities and self-confidence.
Praise for European Far-Right Parties
In contrast to its criticism of mainstream European institutions, the document welcomes the rise of “patriotic European parties.”
It states that the U.S. “encourages its political allies in Europe to promote this revival of spirit.”
The Trump administration has strengthened ties with Germany’s far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party, which Germany’s intelligence services classify as an extremist-right organization.
