Europe-US relations at their ‘lowest moment’: former European Commission president

Europe and U.S. relations are facing their “lowest moment” since NATO came into being, former European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said, as Washington’s disruptive approach to diplomacy forces allies to reexamine the transatlantic relationship.

“There are some doubts about the relationship with the United States,” Barroso, also former prime minister of Portugal, said in an interview with CNBC’s “The China Connection” on Monday, pointing to a loss of trust that extends beyond the European Union to include the U.K.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s aim to acquire Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark, including threats of possible military action and higher tariffs on European nations, has shaken confidence in the U.S. among European leaders and the public.

The relationship between Europe and the U.S. has become increasingly driven by interests, shifting away from the traditional model of being based on shared “democratic values,” Barroso said, describing the moment as a “rupture phase” in which it remains unclear “where we are going from now.”

While Trump pulled back from a maximalist position, ruling out the use of military force and retreating from his threat of imposing tariffs on European nations aimed at pressuring them to help the U.S. acquire the island, he is sticking with his aim of exerting control on the Arctic territory.

In a social media post last week after a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Trump said there is “the framework of a future deal” on Greenland, without disclosing any details or whether Denmark had agreed to a deal. Rutte later said the issue of Greenland’s ownership did not come up in his talks with Trump.

Barroso described Trump as “the great disruptor” who is sometimes “more tough with allies and friends, than with opponents.”

Only 16% of Europeans view the U.S. as an ally that shares the same values, down from 21% in 2024, with a “striking” 20% seeing the U.S. as a rival or an enemy, according to a survey conducted in November by the European Council on Foreign Relations, an international think tank.

That collapse of trust was stark in the U.K. which saw the share drop to 25%, from 37% a year earlier.

On defense, European leaders have also accelerated efforts toward “European sovereignty,” Barroso said, as the Trump administration has piled on pressure over the bloc’s defense spending.

“If you want to keep NATO, it will be a more Europeanized NATO,” Barroso said, adding that Europe should not rely only on the Americans, but prioritize strengthening its own defense.

At the NATO Summit in The Hague last year, member states pledged to invest the equivalent of 5% of their economic output on defense and security spending by 2035, following months of pressure from Washington.

Barroso said that NATO was stronger than before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, pointing to Sweden and Finland joining the bloc and that the alliance is now operationally closer to Russia border. NATO has increased its military presence along its eastern flank following Moscow’s invasion in Ukraine.

While sounding pessimistic about the current state of Europe-U.S. relations, Barroso cautioned against calling it the end of the transatlantic alliance, saying the U.S. remains crucial to Europe’s security.