From tariffs to Ukraine, growing U.S.-Europe rift on display at Munich

A forum initially established to strengthen transatlantic cooperation has found itself at the center of a stage showcasing the growing transatlantic divide on a wide range of issues, from tariffs, trade to Ukraine and defense spending, to name just a few.

The three-day 61st Munich Security Conference (MSC) kicked off on Friday, with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier accusing the U.S. administration under President Donald Trump of recklessly disregarding long-standing international rules in his keynote address.

"The new American administration has a very different world view to ours, one that has no regard for established rules, partnership and established trust," said Steinmeier. "But I am convinced that it is not in the interests of the international community for this world view to become the dominant paradigm."

Speaking at the MSC on the same day, U.S. Vice President JD Vance cited a Thursday car attack in Munich and called on Europe to do more to curb illegal migration, calling it the continent's "most urgent" challenge. In response, German government spokesperson Steffen Hebestreit said outsiders should not be "meddling in the internal affairs of a friendly country."

In addition, in response to the recent announcement by the Trump administration to impose steep steel and aluminum tariffs and his plan to slap sweeping "reciprocal" tariffs, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered a strong rebuttal at the MSC.

"Unjustified tariffs against the European Union will not be left without a response. We will take proportional and clear countermeasures," said von der Leyen. She also made it clear that if the U.S. continues to exert economic pressure, Europe will further enhance its strategic autonomy, including increasing protection for domestic industries.

Following von der Leyen's remarks, Vance told reporters that the United States will not compromise on economic interests, implying that the tariff policy is aimed at ensuring a fair competitive environment for American workers and businesses.

Analysts believe the Trump administration's unilateral "America First" approach and policy have exacerbated the tensions between the U.S. and Europe.

Wang Shuo, a professor of the School of International Relations at Beijing Foreign Studies University, told China Media Group (CMG) that this year's Munich Security Conference seems to have returned to its traditional theme of the transatlantic alliance, with the growing divide between the U.S. and Europe becoming a focus.

There are significant differences between the U.S. and Europe on various issues, including trade, tariffs, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), defense, climate change, global governance, and regional conflicts, said Wang.

The U.S.-Europe rift on seeking a peaceful resolution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a high agenda at the MSC, has been evident.

Vance reaffirmed the United States' desire to facilitate a swift ceasefire, and said that Trump has already engaged in direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to seek a "workable solution."

Trump and Putin had a 90-minute phone call on Wednesday, when the two leaders agreed to work together to initiate talks to end the Ukraine crisis, and said they would meet in person, probably in Saudi Arabia. Shortly after speaking with Putin, Trump also had a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

However, several European countries approached the direct U.S.-Russia talks with caution, voicing concerns about being sidelined and fearing that Ukraine's interests might be "bargained away" and that European security could be compromised as a result.

"Any deal behind our backs will not work, any agreement will need also Ukraine and Europe being part of it," said Kaja Kallas, the European Union's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, at a NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels.

Paula Pinho, chief spokesperson for the European Commission, echoed these sentiments at a regular press conference on Thursday. "Ukraine's security is Europe's security," she said. "If there is a discussion about Ukraine's security, Europe is concerned. If there's a discussion about Europe's security, it also involves Ukraine."

Wang, the professor at the Beijing Foreign Studies University, said Europe seems to have a contradictory attitude of seeking both appeasement and confrontation with the United States, which is especially evident regarding the Ukraine crisis.

From the U.S. perspective, Europe has been seen as taking advantage of America, so Europe is urged to bear more costs, especially to serve American interests, said Wang.

From the European perspective, on one hand, it hopes to continue strengthening cooperation with the U.S. to safeguard its own interests, particularly in terms of security, and on the other hand, there is also significant concern in Europe that the U.S., in adhering to its "America First" policy, might harm European interests, he analyzed.

A poll by the European Council on Foreign Relations, a think-tank in Germany, released on Wednesday, showed that Europeans are more likely to call the U.S. merely a "necessary partner" rather than an "ally."

German public opinion generally believes that the current U.S.-Europe differences go beyond policy positions and reflect deeper contradictions in their understanding of the international order and global governance models.

Thomas Fasbender, a geopolitics editor at the German Newspaper Berliner Zeitung, told CMG that the most fundamental U.S.-Europe divergence stems from a paradigm shift brought by the change of U.S. administration. Specifically, this shift is from a values-oriented approach that emphasizes the rules-based international order to a transaction-oriented policy, he said.

This is very tough for Europeans, because they find themselves being marginalized and excluded from the process of major issues, said Fasbender.