Opinion | Europe may be entering its own ‘century of humiliation’

Name: FULL EVENT: US President Donald Trump speaks at Davos
Uploaded: 2026-01-27T01:30:09.000Z
Description: FULL EVENT: US President Donald Trump speaks at Davos

Faced with an aggressive Trump administration, an unapologetic Russia and a rising China, European efforts towards strategic autonomy may be too little, too late

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Bryan Luk

Published: 9:30am, 27 Jan 2026Updated: 11:22am, 27 Jan 2026

The World Economic Forum in Davos has long been the high cathedral of globalisation, a place where the “Davos Man” devours a borderless world governed by the rules of the market and mutual gain. But a few days ago, that era ended.

US President Donald Trump’s speech at Davos was essentially a wrecking ball swung at the foundations of the transatlantic alliance (if it still exists). By doubling down on aggressive, transactional rhetoric against European nations that he sees as free-riders, Trump signalled the definitive return of raw realpolitik. This is the “Donroe Doctrine”, the Monroe Doctrine updated for the 2020s, a US closed-door policy that treats Europe not as a partner but as a frontier to be managed – or exploited.

The White House’s 2025 National Security Strategy introduced a “Trump corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine, signalling a massive shift in American priorities. The strategy explicitly commits to reasserting US dominance over its own hemisphere, withdrawing the attention and resources that once anchored the transatlantic alliance to focus on its “near abroad”. This pivot is not merely theoretical – the attack on the Maduro administration in Venezuela served as the opening salvo of this new era.

By prioritising the Americas, the US has recast Europe from a coequal ally into a frontier that must be corrected or managed. The strategy probably marks the end of the era of shared Western leadership.

We are witnessing the beginning of Europe’s own “century of humiliation”. Just as China’s late Qing dynasty was forced to navigate the ambitions of Western powers in the 19th century, Europe is now seeing its sovereignty and resources being chipped away in the name of the US’ interests and security.

To stay in Washington’s good graces – particularly to preserve the Nato partnership that is the security foundation of the European continent – Europe is paying a heavy price. It is handing over its own power in exchange for a seat at a table where it no longer calls the shots.

FULL EVENT: US President Donald Trump speaks at Davos

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.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Faced with an aggressive Trump administration, an unapologetic Russia and a rising China, European efforts towards strategic autonomy may be too little, too late

Faced with an aggressive Trump administration, an unapologetic Russia and a rising China, European efforts towards strategic autonomy may be too little, too late