278. Europe coming full circle
The eighth gathering of the European Political Community is currently held in Yerevan, Armenia. The location was carefully selected to show Europe’s dedication to preventing Armenia from reverting to Russian influence.
Canada was notably represented despite not being a member of the community. The most impactful remark, however, also came from Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who said that Europe will not accept a harsher world and can instead serve as a foundation for rebuilding a new international order.
Further criticizing the US, he said, “We don’t believe we are meant to submit to a more transactional, insular, and brutal world, and I personally believe the international order will be rebuilt, but it will originate from Europe.”
The gathering is taking place amid fresh concern about the US’s commitment to NATO following Donald Trump’s surprise decision to withdraw more than 5,000 troops from Germany.
As usual, the British prime minister spoke cautiously, “We cannot deny that some of our alliances are not as strong as we would like them to be. There is more tension within these alliances than ideal.”
But French President Emmanuel Macron bluntly stated, “Europeans are taking their destiny into their own hands by increasing defense and security spending and developing their own shared solutions.”
As of the end of 2025, there were 36,436 active-duty US troops in Germany, 12,662 in Italy, and 3,814 in Spain. Trump has also suggested he might pull troops also from Italy and Spain.
What surprised me was the German chancellor's absence. Since Trump tried to punish the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for saying the US had been humiliated by Iran during talks to end the war, the heat is on.
This is the right time for Europeans to rethink the reliability of the transatlantic alliance. It would be a good signal for the world.
Remember, Ukraine has been requesting NATO membership and, as a result, has been subjected to bombings for the past four years. The world is not as it was in 1948.