New NSS Targets Europe’s Immigration Policy

The Trump administration has ignited a major controversy by using its newly released National Security Strategy (NSS) to criticize Europe’s immigration policies, sparking outrage among key allies. Released in December 2025, the NSS condemns Europe for being over-regulated and lacking self-confidence, even going so far as to describe it as facing “civilizational erasure” due to immigration. This confrontational stance, which signals a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy, aims to cultivate resistance within European nations against their current trajectory, deepening ideological divisions and potentially straining transatlantic relations.

Story Overview

The Trump administration’s National Security Strategy criticizes Europe’s immigration policy.
Describes Europe as facing “civilizational erasure” due to immigration.
U.S. aims to cultivate resistance to the current European trajectory.
European leaders reject the U.S. strategy as interference.

Trump Administration’s Stance on Europe

The Trump administration, through its newly released National Security Strategy (NSS), has taken a confrontational stance towards Europe. Early in December 2025, the administration released a document criticizing Europe for being over-regulated and lacking self-confidence, attributing these issues to its immigration policies. The NSS outlines a U.S. strategy aimed at cultivating resistance within European nations against their current political and regulatory trajectory, which it views as a threat to national identity and democratic processes.

The NSS’s rhetoric has sparked controversy across Europe, with officials from countries like Germany and France condemning the strategy. They perceive it as an unacceptable intrusion into their internal affairs. This marks a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy, which traditionally considered Europe a key ally, focusing instead on confronting perceived ideological threats from within.

U.S. Warns of Europe’s ‘Civilizational Erasure’ Through Immigration – The New York Times https://t.co/wRizpuigF5

— Edward Sonnino (@EdwardSonnino) December 6, 2025

European Reaction to the U.S. Strategy

European leaders have swiftly rejected the NSS’s implications. Germany’s foreign minister criticized the U.S. for offering unsolicited advice, while French MEP Valérie Hayer labeled the document as dangerous. The NSS’s narrative aligns with far-right European parties, echoing their rhetoric on immigration and national identity. This alignment has emboldened nationalist parties across Europe, which see the U.S. stance as validation of their position against the EU’s liberal immigration policies.

The NSS describes Europe as facing “civilizational erasure” due to immigration, a term that resonates with far-right narratives in Europe. By framing Europe’s internal policies as a strategic concern, the Trump administration has signaled a deeper ideological rift with the EU, challenging the concept of shared Western values.

Potential Implications for Transatlantic Relations

The NSS’s confrontational tone towards Europe may strain diplomatic relations between the U.S. and its European allies. By advocating for internal resistance, the U.S. risks being seen as interfering in European domestic politics. This could deepen divisions within the EU, where member states with nationalist governments might resist EU-level policies more aggressively, citing U.S. support.

In the long term, the NSS could reshape NATO-EU relations and Europe’s strategic autonomy efforts. As Europe seeks to balance its security needs with maintaining sovereignty, the NSS may push the continent towards greater defense independence, potentially weakening transatlantic cooperation in the face of external threats like Russia and China.

Watch the report: Trump’s blistering national security plan slams European allies as ‘weak,’ goes full ‘America first’