The Trump administration's National Security Strategy document, published Friday, went off like a bomb, finally making clear to ever-optimistic Europeans that the United States under Donald Trump has no intention of standing with Europe or Ukraine in either the short or the long term.

Worse, it is becoming increasingly clear that this is not some temporary aberration peculiar to Trump himself, but reflects the views of a growing faction within the administration. The document (which I'm hearing was drafted by people close to J.D. Vance) reflects positions jointly held by the Kremlin and by Vance's network of PayPal ‘libertarians’ who have adopted isolationist and nationalist worldviews.

It is clear that the transatlantic alliance between the United States and Europe which formed the backbone of the post-war order is being assaulted in ways that are new and, to many, unexpected. But we must not abandon it or reach the conclusion that it is unnecessary or obsolete. To the contrary, as America is captured and in distress, Europe is in a position to play a key role in promoting democratic values in its own borders as well as helping the United States to throw off its current antidemocratic infection. Here are some key steps Europe must take now to advance democracy globally.

• Build European internal security and resilience. Europe should be able to defend itself against Russia and other threats even when America is an unreliable partner. Increasing internal capacity means Europe can contribute more to (and distribute risks and costs across) the NATO alliance.
• Reject corporate tech hegemony. The world's largest technology companies (most of which are American) now operate more like nation states. Companies like Meta, X, and Google, have amassed billions of users and present a real challenge to the sovereignty of individual countries and to the European Union. Recent actions by the European Commission (EC) to regulate X over its trade practices (which are not censorship of any kind) exemplify the kinds of actions Europe can take to resist toxic, anti-democratic corporatist influence. European leadership here can serve as an example for US regulators who also need to curb antidemocratic corporatist influence. Notably, regulating American companies can be done without stoking broad-stroke anti-Americanism.
• Resist creeping anti-American populism. With America seeming more like an enemy than an ally in Europe, it's understandable that many people might be tempted to turn on the United States and the transatlantic alliance, but we must resist this urge on both sides of the ocean. America is capable of not only being a good ally but of exhibiting real leadership that fosters productive peace. And we can do it again. But we need to throw off our current infection to do it. Europe can help by expecting America to be a reliable ally, even as it can strive for self-sufficiency when we cannot.