While transatlantic relations have long been marked by asymmetries and periodic tensions, Trump’s return to the White House in 2025 has intensified uncertainty about the future of US commitments to European security, the credibility of NATO, and the broader liberal international order.

This roundtable will examine the implications of the second Trump administration for Europe’s security environment, focusing on shifts in U.S. foreign and defence policy, burden-sharing debates, and Washington’s approach to Russia, China, and ongoing conflicts on Europe’s periphery. Bringing together diverse perspectives, the discussion will focus on how European governments and EU institutions are responding to this heightened strategic volatility. Key themes include the prospects for European strategic autonomy, the resilience of NATO in an era of transactional alliance politics, and the risks of fragmentation within Europe’s security architecture.

This roundtable brings together four leading scholars in international security and politics from King’s Department of European and International Studies and the Department of War Studies:

Dr Hillary Briffa, Senior Lecturer in National Security Studies

Dr Ruth Deyermond, Senior Lecturer in Post-Soviet Security

Christoph Meyer, Professor of European and International Politics

Nicholas Michelsen, Professor of International Relations

The event will be introduced by Professor Linda McKie and chaired by Dr Isabelle Hertner.