Europeans are in shock as they face the latest moves by the U.S. government against the continent. From the paternalistic lecture delivered by Vice President J.D. Vance at the Munich Security Conference in February (see the speech here) to the negotiations over Ukraine between the U.S. and Russia—excluding the European Community—the transatlantic alliance is being tested like never before.
Do I need to remind my fellow Americans that the reality we share today has deep European roots? The Western world was shaped and developed by European thinkers, philosophers, artists, politicians, and economists, all of whom contributed to the foundation of modern Western civilization.
The principles of inalienable rights, the separation of powers, and the structure of the U.S. Constitution were largely influenced by Enlightenment thinkers such as Montesquieu and John Locke. Even Washington, D.C., was designed by a European—Frenchman Pierre L’Enfant—whose grid plan still defines the city’s layout today.
There would be no United States of America as we know it without Europe. Some might even argue that the U.S. represents a generational evolution of European civilization, emerging in the post-colonial era. Today, U.S. Census data indicates that approximately 60% of Americans identify as of European descent, with the percentage rising when considering those of mixed ancestry.
Given these deep cultural and historical ties, one would expect Washington to treat Europe as an equal partner in shaping the future. Instead, the U.S. continues to dictate security policy with little regard for European perspectives—whether in negotiating with Russia over Ukraine or pushing NATO members toward higher defense spending. This approach treats Europe as a subordinate, not an ally. Europe has spent decades trying to move beyond the militaristic nationalism that led to two world wars, yet Washington is pressuring Europe to remilitarize. By pushing a renewed arms buildup, the U.S. is steering the continent backward, not forward. The U.S. has repeatedly demonstrated the failures of militarization, from Korea (1950–1953) and Vietnam (1955–1975) to the Bay of Pigs (1961), Lebanon (1982–1984), Somalia (1992–1994), Afghanistan (2001–2021), Libya (2011), and Iraq (2003–2011, with resurgence in 2014–2017). One might add that the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Palestine would look very different without U.S. funding, arms, and logistical support. This rearmament push is not just leading Europe but the entire world in the wrong direction.
The real challenge for the U.S. is not to dominate the world through force but to redefine leadership for the 21st century. True influence is built on partnership, not coercion. Instead of clinging to outdated power struggles, the U.S. should serve as the founding partner for the first Universal Human Community—one driven by diplomacy, economic cooperation, and shared security. Anything less is irrelevant in the modern world.
