The newly released US National Security Policy includes a policy statement stating that the US wants to restore Europe’s “civilizational self-confidence and Western identity”. The reference to Europe’s identity is ambiguous but in reality, it is a direct reference to the formal and public support of US government officials to far-right and pro-Russian parties in Europe such as the AFD in Germany.
The document also states that the US will oppose any anti-democratic measures in Europe. The document also rejects Net-Zero policies on climate change.
The highly political document is very unusual and its policy on Europe is an open admission that the US government’s is set to interfere into European politics. The US government is also objecting to NATO expansion – a demand frequently made by Russia.
On Russia, the US is demanding a normalisation of ties with Russia after a peace deal. According to the US National Security Strategy, Europe should have a stable relationship with Russia – also a demand repeatedly made by Russia. Stabilisation means normalisation and trade.
On China, the document calls on Europe and other countries to put pressure on China to become a domestic-consuming economy to avoid its excess capacity dumping ion world markets. The US also warned that China should not control the South China Sea and this scenario would potentially give rise to new sea-tolls.
The document makes the first ever explicit reference by the Trump Administration to a deterrence policy against China with regard to Taiwan. The document states that China should be deterred from starting a conflict with Taiwan and the US does not support any unilateral change to Taiwan’s current status.
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