There is little more challenging than being an ally of Donald Trump’s administration. Europe—the United States’ most important partner—is left in a state of confusion, with the future of the European project, embodied by the European Union, thrown into question. This uncertainty stems from the current U.S. administration’s positions over the past year, ranging from its approach to the war in Ukraine to its controversial demand to annex Greenland, a Danish territory.

Who would have imagined a European military mission being sent to Greenland at Denmark’s request to explore how to respond to American ambitions to seize the territory?

While the Trump administration pursues the annexation of Greenland by any means, Russian military pressure on Ukraine persists, now approaching the fourth anniversary of President Vladimir Putin’s war against a sovereign neighbor that refuses to serve as a Moscow satellite.

To justify the war on Ukraine, the Russian president put forward several weak arguments, including Ukraine’s desire to join NATO—an ironic claim, given that Russia itself had once considered joining the alliance in the final days of 1991, following the collapse of the Soviet Union.

There is little American acknowledgment of the seriousness of the war in Ukraine and its threat to European security. It appears that Trump has set aside much of the legacy tied to the special relationship between the United States and Europe—a bond strengthened by America’s role in World War II and further shaped during the Cold War. That conflict ended with the triumph of the Western bloc, symbolized by the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, paving the way for German reunification and the liberation of Eastern European countries from Soviet domination.

Most of Europe, of course, views Trump’s administration as an adversary—primarily because of its refusal to constrain Putin’s ambitions in Ukraine. The administration advocates ending the war through a settlement that would allow Russia to retain control over some of the territories it has occupied since February, while requiring Ukraine to recognize Crimea, seized by Moscow in 2014, as an integral part of the Russian Federation.

Trump’s administration appears intent on rewarding Vladimir Putin for waging war on Ukraine, a country aspiring to join NATO and the European Union. This approach marks a sharp departure from the international norms established since the end of World War II in 1945. Henceforth, Europe must contend with an America that seems indifferent to the values the West long upheld—values that were instrumental in defeating the Nazi regime in Europe.

It is clear that Donald Trump, by accommodating Putin, aims to justify his claim on Greenland—overlooking the fact that he could have reached a reasonable, civilized agreement with Denmark on the island’s future without provoking such a stir in Europe.

This reflects an American administration intent on overturning the traditional rules governing U.S.–Europe relations. The ball now lies in Europe’s court, in a world that demands the continent assume greater responsibility. The challenge is not only about the future of the European Union, now composed of 27 countries following Britain’s 2016 referendum decision to leave, but also concerns broader questions, such as the future of NATO if it no longer commands Washington’s attention.

What is even more alarming is that Europe no longer has the capacity to defend itself, despite the setbacks suffered by the Russian military in Ukraine. Vladimir Putin initially assumed that taking Kyiv would be an easy task for the “Red Army” and that a Russian military parade in the city was only a matter of days. Yet, after four years of war, he finds himself increasingly trapped in the Ukrainian morass.

In the end, the question remains: why does Donald Trump harbor such animosity toward Europe? Why this insistence on rewarding Russian aggression against Ukraine? And why put Europe’s future at risk?

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed by the writers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Annahar.