Since the end of the Cold War, in parallel with the gradual shift of U.S. attention away from the Old Continent, an increasingly structured debate has emerged within Europe regarding the need to strengthen its strategic autonomy in matters of security and defence. This chapter begins with the 1998 Saint Malo Declaration, considered the starting point of the CSDP, and analyses how this and other developments have been received by the various U.S. administrations. The proposed analysis is enriched by the results of interviews conducted during a research period at the Europe Centre of the Atlantic Council in Washington, whose testimonies offer a direct and qualified perspective, contributing to a deeper understanding of contemporary transatlantic dynamics, as well as by the examination of the first six months of the second Trump administration.

Published: 30 September 2025