Europe sighed a breath of relief after the World Economic Forum that took place in Davos, Switzerland, from January 19 to 23. It had averted the greatest crisis in the history of NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization): the United States’s bid to annex Greenland. But it is still unclear whether the episode will help Europeans trust each other more than they trust the US, or whether the inevitable next crisis will once again bring out the divisions among them. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was applauded at Davos for his call to resist American imperialism. Will Europe follow him?

Europe’s struggle to find its own voice in international affairs is profoundly rooted in a cognitive dependence on the US. Even when Europe has been united, for instance, in supporting Ukraine in its defense against the Russian invasion, it has done so under Washington’s leadership. This dependence on the US goes beyond material relations. It is deeply rooted in the European mindset.

There are several shades of Transatlanticism in Europe, some deeper than others. Because of them, the lessons of the past year are taking time to sink in. In countries such as the United Kingdom and Germany, historic transatlantic ties have shaped generations of diplomats and foreign policy wonks. The UK remained cautious throughout the Greenland crisis, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer only speaking up when US President Donald Trump disrespected British contributions to the war in Afghanistan. In parts of Eastern Europe, the US is at the core of the post-Soviet identity. For these countries, which have a single-minded focus on the Russian threat, keeping the US involved in Europe is a priority.

Then there are the Trumpians: Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has managed, so far skilfully, to ingratiate Trump while staying within the European caucus, a position made possible thanks to the restraint of transatlantic nostalgics. It is not clear how long this double game can go on.

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