European National Security under American Brutalization

Statements by U.S. President Trump containing threats related to European national security have become recurrent, ranging from the annexation of Greenland to attacks on the French president, and even threats to remove Spain from NATO. A closer examination of the practical implications of these statements reveals multiple actions aimed at undermining European states and the very idea of the European Union. One prominent example is the misinformation and political pressure exerted by the United States that contributed to the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union.

Some observers attribute these statements to Trump’s personal character, which has become an important lens through which U.S. foreign policy is interpreted. However, this article focuses instead on identifying the actors who benefit economically from such statements and actions, and on examining whether Europe has fallen into a series of traps designed to dismantle the European Union.

To address these questions, the article emphasizes the economic dimension of those benefiting from U.S. policies and rhetoric. It argues that European economic powers represent a high level of competition to the U.S. economy and its dominant economic forces. While multinational corporations are an established reality, the overall distribution of profit at the international level can be understood as follows: multinational companies generate benefits—through taxation, political interests, and employment—for the states to which they are linked, thereby creating vital state interests in their continued existence.

In analyzing this competition, the article seeks to simplify without falling into excessive reductionism. European competition with the United States, when viewed as a single bloc, spans multiple dimensions and sectors, but can generally be considered the third greatest economic threat after China. In some sectors, particularly in terms of quality and standards, Europe even surpasses China. Civil aviation provides a clear example, where competition is primarily between Europe and the United States, namely Airbus and Boeing. Furthermore, the European economy is comparable in size to China’s, although China exhibits higher growth rates. Thus, the argument rests on the overall economic structure, levels of independence, and protective capacity, rather than on any single sector.

U.S. Sectors Benefiting from the Weakening of the European Union

From a Marxist perspective, the European Union represents a logical target, as it possesses a currency that constitutes a genuine competitor to the U.S. dollar. The eurozone is a major financial market based on a unified currency. Although linked to the dollar, the euro is used beyond the borders of any single state and enjoys high credibility. This poses a competitive threat to U.S. financial capital, particularly as capital accumulation intensifies and new challenges such as digital currencies emerge.

Europe also stands as a potential competitor in industrial capital, supported by strong industrial infrastructures, particularly in Germany, which hosts competitive production chains and scientific institutions integrated into industrial and service markets.

The European market also exhibits competitive potential in agriculture. Despite sectoral challenges, European agriculture can provide food security and competitive production surpluses, making it contrary to the interests of U.S. agrarian capital for this sector to remain robust.

Europe possesses advanced information industries and services, enabling competition with U.S. technological capital. EU member states represent current and future competitors to American information capital, rendering European technological infrastructures strategic targets.

European soft power varies across regions, shaped by colonial legacies and cultural centrality. While Europe’s intellectual heritage fostered modernity, its colonial exploitation left lasting impacts on formerly colonized societies.

The European space project is also a promising endeavor. As outer space becomes a field of capitalist competition and investment, Europe’s infrastructure, emerging companies, and scientific research capabilities position it well for future gains.

The Dilemma of the War in Ukraine

The war involving Russia and NATO in Ukraine has primarily exhausted Europe and Russia, while the United States emerges as the principal beneficiary. Europe’s reliance on Russian energy and Russia’s dependence on energy exports have resulted in economic damage to Europe and military depletion in Russia, constituting a form of dual containment that ultimately favors U.S. interests.

The Dilemma of Israeli Armament

European states rely heavily on Israeli weapons and security systems, despite Israel functioning as a strategic instrument of the United States. This dependency constitutes a critical vulnerability, exposing Europe to political pressure and information leakage, thereby undermining sovereignty and citizen privacy.

Spain offers a clear example: while Israel establishes drone factories in Morocco and conducts military cooperation with Rabat, it treats Spain as a state requiring discipline, even as Spain remains partially dependent on Israeli security systems—an evident erosion of sovereignty.

The Dilemma of the European Right-wing

The rise of the European right mirrors identity-based violence witnessed in the Middle East. This trend risks transforming national identity into an exclusionary ideology, initially targeting migrants but ultimately threatening all forms of difference.

Conclusion

The threats to European collective security are fundamentally linked to the nature of the capitalist system. Capitalist brutalization is not an anomaly but a structural feature. Unipolarity accelerated this process, and Trump represents its manifestation. In the absence of structural plurality and socialist thought, global balance remains the least harmful option for weaker nations and classes. Weakening the European Union today provides economic revitalization opportunities for the United States, particularly amid growing risks of an artificial intelligence–driven economic bubble.