The remarks reflect a growing consensus across Europe that the Greenland episode — the worst in a long line of feuds between allies sparked by Trump since his return to the White House — has put an unprecedented strain on transatlantic ties.
On Saturday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Munich adopted a warmer tone, stressing that Washington would not be the “caretakers of the West’s managed decline” but insisted he wanted to “revitalize an old friendship” with Europe.
Many Europeans greeted Rubio’s comments with caution, noting that the Trump administration’s ideological underpinnings haven’t changed. Siliņa said he showed that “Europe and the U.S. stand together for a stronger, safer, and more prosperous future” but added that “the world is different now.”
That means both sides have to set the rules on “how Europe will deal with the U.S. and the U.S. with Europe,” she added.
If Europe is to become more decisive, that means rethinking onerous procedures that require all 27 often fractious countries to come to an agreement.
That’s already starting to change. EU leaders last week agreed that countries could break into smaller like-minded groups in a bid to speed up lawmaking and defang veto threats from countries like Hungary which have blocked aid to Ukraine and defense cooperation efforts.