News|Donald TrumpEU slams critical US security strategy, notes ‘changed relationship’EU leader Costa and the German government have hit back at a US security strategy harshly critical of Europe.

New US National Security Strategy Criticized by European Leaders

The European Council President, Antonio Costa, and the German government have expressed criticism of a recent US national security strategy document. This document portrays Europe as a declining power, which could potentially lose its strategic importance to Washington.

The document, released by the US administration, has been met with disapproval from the European Union's leading economy and high-ranking officials. It criticizes Europe for facing potential "civilisational erasure" due to migration and accuses it of restricting free speech and suppressing anti-immigration movements. Furthermore, it suggests the possibility of the US reconsidering its security commitments to Europe.

Antonio Costa emphasized the need for Europe to adapt to a changed relationship with the US, highlighting the importance of European autonomy in political decisions. Costa also defended Europe's stance on free speech, stressing that only European citizens should determine their governance and warning against external interference.

In Berlin, Sebastian Hille, a deputy spokesperson for the German government, labeled some criticisms in the document as being driven by "ideology rather than strategy." He reiterated that political freedoms, including freedom of expression, are core values of the EU.

Hille also disagreed with the document's omission of Russia as a threat, affirming Germany's alignment with NATO's assessment of Russia as a danger to trans-Atlantic security.

The US strategy document indicates an interest in improving relations with Moscow, aiming to end the conflict with Ukraine to reestablish stability with Russia. This stance has been met with reservations from European leaders, who are concerned about the implications for Ukraine.

An initial US peace plan, which would have allowed Russia to retain large territories in eastern Ukraine, faced opposition from European leaders. The plan has since undergone revisions with input from Ukraine and its European allies, although the full details remain undisclosed.

Moscow has expressed approval of the US strategy document, while Costa cautioned that the objective should be a fair and durable peace, not merely the cessation of hostilities.

Based on reporting by Al Jazeera.