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Are Europe and America headed for divorce?

For now, the two sides remain locked in an unhappy marriage

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    • European confidence in American leadership is at an all-time low; more people in Spain, Italy, France and Germany now regard the US as a threat than a “close ally”, a poll shows.
    • European confidence in American leadership is at an all-time low; more people in Spain, Italy, France and Germany now regard the US as a threat than a “close ally”, a poll shows. PHOTO: REUTERS

    Gideon Rachman

    Published Tue, Apr 28, 2026 · 05:12 PM

    THE US Air Force moved into Lakenheath in Britain in 1948. Ramstein air base was established in Germany in the early 1950s. Today, there are over 40 US military bases in Europe, hosting around 85,000 troops.

    But nothing lasts forever. And, for the first time in my life, it is conceivable that the US military presence in Europe could come to an end.

    The immediate irritant is the war in Iran. European reluctance – and occasional refusal – to let the US use its bases for missions in Iran has infuriated President Donald Trump, who has lambasted Europeans as “cowards” and called Nato a “paper tiger”.

    GeopoliticsUS-Europe relationsTrump administrationNatoDefence

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