Trump 2.0 would be a shock to Europe’s ailing system
Berlin and Paris are bracing for a trans-Atlantic shock, but not doing enough about it
FOR a sign of things to come for Europe, the place to watch this week isn’t Blenheim Palace or the European Parliament but the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. There, a bandaged Donald Trump and running mate JD Vance are laying out their cards: Freeze or end the war in Ukraine, step up competition with China, embrace protectionism and crack down on immigration.
It’s time Europeans prepared for the combined effect of a trans-Atlantic shock to the system – a Trump 2.0 with extra hostility. Carving up Ukraine as part of a deal with Vladimir Putin would usher in a new world for the European Union, which is nowhere near ready to integrate Kyiv or deliver on security commitments without US support.
Pressure to align with the US on China, while already tough under the Biden administration, would ripple through top EU companies such as Dutch chip titan ASML Holding and Germany’s Volkswagen.
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