The transatlantic rupture is complete

BERLIN – The North Atlantic is undergoing sweeping historical changes as the rift between Europe and America widens. Under President Donald Trump, the United States is seeking to create a world order based solely on spheres of interest, and dominated by the “big three” global powers: the U.S., China, and Russia. To achieve this, the Trump administration is prepared to abandon the traditional foundations of U.S. influence: its network of alliances to the values that have underpinned American democracy for 250 years. While Trump’s foreign policy tends to “follow the money,” MAGA (Make America Great Again) ideology is also playing a role in this dark vision. As Trump and his MAGA movement see it, Europe is the second major battleground (after the US itself) that needs to be conquered. And because this will require breaking up the European Union, the decades-long transatlantic alliance has given way to enmity in remarkably short order. It is worth dwelling on how radical a break this is. The U.S. emerged from World War II as the principal victor in both the European and Pacific