A Bill Comes Due for the Alliance

There is an old saying about fair-weather friends. For decades, European nations have rested comfortably under an American security umbrella, a costly enterprise funded by Washington. When the bill for that friendship finally arrived, in the modest form of a request for military access for the US campaign in Iran, several allies suddenly found their wallets were elsewhere.

According to Andrew Pudzer, the US Ambassador to the EU, President Trump’s disappointment with this reluctance has not faded. The reaction from Europe was a telling mosaic of indecision and defiance. Spain and Italy flatly refused access to US forces. The United Kingdom, under Keir Starmer, initially denied the use of its bases in Cyprus before relenting for what it termed a “specific and limited defensive purpose.” Germany, while not restricting access to US bases on its soil, engaged in a running commentary against the war’s objectives. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius captured the sentiment in Berlin perfectly: “this is not our war; we did not start it.”

The American administration views this as a fundamental betrayal. Ambassador Pudzer bluntly articulated the White House perspective, noting that after decades of funding bases and rescuing European nations in past conflicts, the refusal to grant something as basic as overflight rights is incomprehensible. The question Washington is now asking, according to the ambassador, is a simple one: if allies are unwilling to offer such minimal support, what are they willing to do?

The consequences of this European vacillation are already materializing. Washington has begun cutting US military capabilities available to NATO on the continent and has announced troop reductions. President Trump has not minced words, publicly branding his allies as “cowards” on social media and vowing to “remember” their lack of support. The fallout has poisoned diplomatic discourse, most notably with Germany.

After German Chancellor Frederic Merz criticized Washington’s “ill-conceived” war aims and claimed US negotiators were being “humiliated” by Tehran, Trump’s response was swift and sharp. He suggested on social media that the Chancellor should focus on the war in Ukraine, “Where he has been totally ineffective!,” and on “fixing his broken Country.” This is not the language of partners, but of a relationship nearing its breaking point.

A belated attempt by a UK-France-led coalition to assemble naval forces to reopen the Strait of Hormuz appears to be an exercise in damage control. It is an effort to mend a rift that European capitals allowed to fester. When asked if Europe’s initial response was a “big mistake for a small ask,” Ambassador Pudzer’s agreement was succinct. The question now is whether such a mistake can be rectified, or if the transatlantic alliance has been permanently altered.

Written by Thorben Thiede thorben.thiede@alpineweekly.com