On the 16th of December, the President of the Transatlantic Dialogue Center, Maksym Skrypchenko, took part in a Panel discussion “Is America Still In? How can Europe fill the Gap? Consequences for Regional Stability?”. Together, prominent Ukrainian, EU’s and US speakers managed to draw valuable insights on the American role in a shifting European security landscape.
During the fruitful talks at the Ukrainian Central European Forum 2025, organised by the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism”, TDC President emphasised the urgent need for European decision-makers to rethink the USA’s approach to defence and security matters.
He is convinced that a tendency to systematically reduce spending on its allies under the Trump administration is likely to persist regardless of the next American leader. Thus, the EU should build up its resilience and capability to secure the region, reducing the tangible dependence on external allies.
Among the other discussed matters, the following was mentioned:
- The new US National Security Strategy changes the established view on the partnership between the USA and the EU;
- The new trends in American foreign policy should be viewed by Europeans as a chance to evolve and strengthen their unity, particularly in the security sector;
- American participation in the negotiations regarding the end of the Russian war in Ukraine will remain tangible despite possible Trump’s declarations of withdrawal.
Still, the USA remains a vital partner for the EU and Ukraine, even if the relations with this state require new strategic approaches today, Maksym Skrypchenko underlined. The mere adaptation to current trends is insufficient, as long-term security and defence calculations should be a priority for Europe.