Updated February 27, 2025 at 13:31 PM ET
President Trump's alienation of long-standing European allies has left leaders there scratching their heads.
In recent days, Trump falsely claimed that Ukraine started the ongoing war with Russia. The war began three years ago when Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
Vice President Vance last week scolded European leaders for not listening to far-right political groups, including the Alternative for Germany party. Some party leaders have been criticized for using Nazi slogans and downplaying the Holocaust.
Morning Edition is exploring the repercussions of America's foreign policy reversals and realignments under President Trump with different writers, analysts and leaders.
And this week, Trump renewed his threat to slap a 25% tariff on goods from the European Union and made a false claim about its formation.
"The European Union was formed in order to screw the United States. That's the purpose of it, and they've done a good job of it," Trump said at his first Cabinet meeting this week. "But now I'm president."
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told Morning Edition the actual goal of forming the EU was to prevent more wars on the continent and that, so far, it has been successful. Throughout this peaceful stretch, she added, the U.S. has been an ally.
She spoke to NPR's A Martínez about how this relationship appears to be changing, Ukraine's security and how she feels Europe has honored its relationship with the U.S.
Europe wants to understand why Trump is treating them this way.
Kallas acknowledges that Trump and the EU haven't always seen eye to eye, but leaders across the Atlantic want to understand how to work with the new administration.
She added that the EU wants to understand U.S. worries and make compromises as needed to keep the relationship strong, but it's proving tricky at the moment.
"We don't even have enough contacts with the United States as we see that they are having with the Russians, for example," Kallas said.
A planned meeting between Kallas and Secretary of State Marco Rubio was abruptly canceled this week due to "scheduling issues." Kallas said she is hopeful a meeting will still take place.
European NATO allies supported the U.S. with troops on the ground after 9/11.
Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization essentially states that an attack on one member is an attack on all of them. After 9/11, the U.S. invoked this article and asked for military support from the 32-member body.
To date, this is the only time in the alliance's almost 76-year history that this war power has been called upon. Kallas said this is proof of Europe being the United States' strongest ally.
"It just makes me question why or how have we deserved this?" Kallas said. "We have been with the United States in different aspects, cooperating over the years and in different formats."
A proposed Ukraine minerals deal doesn't have clear security guarantees.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected in Washington this week to sign a deal to provide critical raw materials to the U.S. that could be used in electric vehicle batteries and some medicines.
Kallas said U.S. diplomats' explanation of the deal is that having economic ties with Ukraine means its security will naturally be in the United States' best interest. But so far, that's not clearly outlined in the proposed agreement.
"What concerns us is that we don't see any clear security guarantees for Ukraine. Maybe these come after when these economic ties are tightened up," Kallas said.
At the NATO summit last July, leaders of the body agreed that Ukraine's path to NATO membership was on an "irreversible" path once the war with Russia ends. The U.S. agreed to this, Kallas said, but now the Trump administration is walking back the U.S. stance.
"It's clear that Russia is the aggressor and Ukraine is the victim. So it's clear that we need to have very, very concrete security guarantees for Ukraine," Kallas said. "And the strongest security guarantee that there is is NATO membership."
Russia and others are a threat to the U.S.
Americans need to understand what Russian aggression means for them, Kallas said, even as Trump seemingly embraces President Vladimir Putin.
She argues that Iran, Russia, North Korea and China are working together to establish a new world order "where might makes right."
And that is dangerous to everybody, she said, including the United States.
"It's not only Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity that is at stake, but it's [a] much, much broader fight between the autocracies and the democracies of the world," she said.
The radio version of this story was produced by Milton Guevara and edited by Olivia Hampton.
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