The world is at a point of extreme discomfort, even pain. The first year of the second Trump administration was brutal, undermining the structures of democracy within the US and actively seeking to destroy the post WWII global order everywhere else. In the global south the cuts to US aid are clearly biting but also allowing a strong presence of.China and Russia. In Iran and Ukraine people feel abandoned by the US, as do the Kurds in Syria. And in Europe, historically the US’ strongest ally, there is a sense of betrayal: of trust, of shared values, of allied promises.
Donald Trump poses a problem in himself: he is publicly rude about his allies — as people, as states — and he ignores protocol. He demands adulation, even when it is not due. He makes respect difficult, not least when he threatens to invade an allied state or demands territories as a matter of pure ownership. He denies dignity, not an easy prospect in international affairs and diplomacy.
Almut Möller is Director for European and Global Affairs at EPC and Signe Biering is a former senior Danish diplomat And an expert on moderation and facilitation. Their combined experience and wonderful insights allow for a deep and fascinating reflection on how Europe is placed and feeling in this time of extraordinary change, and what it needs to seek going forward — as people, as states, as Europeans, as allies.
This episode was recorded on 22 January 2026
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