There were a number of occasions in the 50s to 70s when the US stepped in directly to neuter world-leading aerospace projects in the UK, forcing the UK to buy from the US instead.

Virtually all of the cost of the UK's Trident deterrent goes to the US.

And it would be unwise to write off the EU, especially now there's a mass exodus of researchers from the US.

Exactly, and with the recent moves Trump administration is directly calling out EU to arm - so a good development in my book.

It's not only that

Outsource defense to USA

Outsource production to China

Make yourself critically dependent on raw materials from Russia.

I'm all in favor of Europe merging more tightly, scale brings a lot of benefits - moves Trump is making are forcing EU members in this direction where they otherwise wouldn't go so easily for petty interests.

To add to this as an EU citizen, try and buy any good from the US as a private EU citizen: not only will you be visited with a bill for 25 percent of what you paid, you will also pay a truly staggering "handling fee" to essentially state-sponsored grifters (here in Denmark called "Told") that will ensure you never buy anything from the US again.

The US had de minimis allowing US citizens to buy most anything they could imagine from abroad without additional fees on import, which Trump has now thrown out the window, but I can't help but feel we're getting our just desserts here.

This is exactly right and it is insane that people don't see this. The dysfunction that Pax Americana has inflicted upon Europe must go away. A continent that cannot defend itself is not a sovereign continent.

I know squabbling is the norm for European countries but I feel there are some recent big own goals. Crazy how we can't get our crap together in such times. (Crazy opinion: UK needs to be in the EU again to be the grown up in the trio of UK, France and Germany)

I'm not sure I know what you mean. Do you mind elaborating?

What a completely baffling statement. It's like saying the left arm should be grateful that the right arm cut itself off of the body because now the left arm has to strengthen itself. Sabotaging the alliance system that has prevailed since World War II leaving both Europe and the United States more dangerously exposed and compromising the safety of our shared democratic values that were once the bedrock of our alliance.

It's so obviously catastrophic that I can't fathom how someone would try to portray this as a win other than out of an appetite for a JV debate team sophistry. Europe is banding together not out of positive diplomatic achievements, but in the same sense that they would band together if a meteor is headed toward Earth and you're asking us to thank the meteor.

EU and US are not two hands of one body.

The EU is not worried about Germany re-arming, as the world has changed dramatically since WW2 and we have much stronger bonds in Europe than we did when Nazi Germany was around.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_Germa...

https://historyguy.com/How_Many_Wars_Were_Fought_Between_Fra...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wars_involving_the_Uni...

The US rearmed Germany immediately after WW2 to be a buffer against an invading USSR.

We literally put Nazis back into command as long as they were willing to fight the Russians again.

Nobody in NATO was ever afraid of a militarized Germany, except maybe Germans.

Europeans you talk about see Russia as a threat. They are not fascists themselves, so Germany having to arm itself more because Russia just got new ally is not a good news.

So when you get other people paying your defense bill, don't be surprised when your territory gets annexed and you get left out of the conversation on the Ukraine issue ?

In my opinion Trump is trying to do everything he said he would in his campaign, he is trying to get the war in Ukraine over ASAP and be the peace bringer.

Even in the leaked Vance messages you saw his view on Europe, which I have to agree with in that case. They feel like they are getting screwed in the EU-US relations and they are looking to pull support, ignoring what the OP said about them being the reserve currency/global police. I guess they see that as a bad deal.

I think big picture Trump sees Russia as a regional player and China as US main rival so he doesn't really care about pushing Russia or "winning" in Ukraine. The minerals deal looks like he wants to show he got something for the money spent compared to Biden.

None of that has anything to do with tariffs.

Need I remind you that Angela Merkel set the stage for all these Russia moves by building german "green transition" on Russian "green gas" ?

From what I'm seeing in Trump moves he doesn't care about Ukraine or Russia much other than showing his supporters how he ended the war that "Biden let happen" according to him. And the minerals deal to show he got their money back that Biden was giving away for free. Not really seeing any Russia alliance other than not buying into the Ukraines vision for the outcome of the war.

Trump who openly admires Putin. His latest moves were literally trying to steal from Ukraine with nothing in return. Who even declared America free from Russian meddling.

They are just not like the guy who tried to extort the Ukraine to hurt his political ennemies, they are not openly praising Putin, they are not giving concessions to Putin ... while lying on TV in front of Ukrainian president ... and then having complete meltdown when he factually corrects you

Like common ... Merkel and Trump are here completely uncomparable.

It might be technically true in some circumstances, but I still don't want some jackass burning my house down thanks, I like my house. That's why I live there.