Phelim McAleer: Donald Trump is fed up with European free-loading over defence

It is a time of revolution as certainties and norms are being dispensed with a tweet or as a throwaway remark at a press conference.

​And so it was in the Oval Office as President Trump and vice-President Vance had a sit down, stand up row with President Zelensky of Ukraine. It was a tough watch especially if you only saw the argument. In reality it was a mostly peaceful 50 minute meeting that only went sideways in the last ten minutes.

There is no doubt the arguments were tough to look at and listen to. The break-up of a relationship is often hard to watch and especially if it comes with some truth telling by the person doing the breaking. No one wants to be rejected and be told exactly why they didn't measure up.

And we witnessed the end of an intense love affair between the US and Ukraine in front of the world's media with Zelensky then ordered to leave the White House shortly afterwards.

He wasn’t even given a sandwich for the long trip home with the White House leaking that they gave his lunch to the interns.

Of course like many acrimonious splits it is the result of long festering dissatisfaction. Many in the US, particularly Trump-supporting Republicans, feel they have been on the receiving end of an abusive relationship for too long.

They believe Ukraine has been taking, taking, taking with little gratitude. And they believe that it is not just the Ukraine but its European neighbours who are abusing their generosity.

These Americans and the Trump administration they elected want this to end.

They believe that Europe is freeloading on the US willingness to spend money on defence. And the statistics back this up.

The US spends 3.4% of its GDP on defence – a massive $800 billion – much of that assisting Europe in standing up to Russia. Meanwhile Germany and Spain spend a mere 1.5% of their GDP on defence. France devotes just 2.1% and Ireland spends a measly 0.2%. The US pays 70% of NATO’s bills whilst those who live next to Russia seem happy to freeload on this generosity.

And the feeling is that not only are they an ungrateful bunch of freeloaders but they are also constantly lecturing Trump and the American people for the crime of being American and their failure to have a welfare state or nationalised health service.

Many American believe it is easy for Europeans to have a national health service and welfare state when someone else is paying for defending that state.

Until recently most American leaders, Republican or Democrat, have been too polite to say this. And until recently there has been no real need to say it because Europe has not faced an external threat. But bad people love a virtuous vacuum.

And President Putin has tested Europe's ability to defend itself and they have shown themselves to be woefully unprepared for aggression. So as they have done so many times in the past Europe has turned to the US for their defence needs.

But as Vice-President JD Vance said recently at the Munich Security conference there is a new sheriff in town and the old rules don’t apply.

There is a new sheriff and a new vibe in the US. In reality it is the old/new vibe of isolationism.

European leftists like to virtuously vent about American imperialism but the reality is that there has always been significant support for isolationism in the US. They want nothing to do with imperialism or far away countries about which they know little. Many forget the US did not join World War I until 1917 and they sat out World War II for two years until they were attacked at Pearl Harbor.

Middle Americans, whose sons join the military and die in wars and who mostly vote Republican, are wary of conflict after being on the losing side of so many foreign entanglements from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan.

They want the government to put America First and not send their money and sons to unappreciative Europeans and a Ukrainian president who seems to not want peace.

The clamour for isolationism runs deep. There is even opposition to supporting Israel in its war against Hamas and radical Islam.

Once support for Israel was automatic in both American political parties. And you would think that would continue after the October 7 massacres when Hamas murdered 1,200 men, women and children in Israel and took several hundred hostages. N

Not so anymore, with the Democrats being influenced by ‘Progressive’ anti-semitism and Republicans becoming increasingly wary of foreign entanglements.

America under Trump will not be writing a blank cheque to Ukraine. There are questions about how much support they should give to Israel.

These are very changed times. When America is falling out of love with Israel then Europe should start thinking about a future of going alone.

Can they afford it?

• Phelim McAleer is from Beragh, Co Tyrone. He is a journalist/producer based in Los Angeles. @PhelimMcAleer