The Atlantic Alliance fears to weaken due to tensions between the US and Europe

The distance that increases between European countries and the United States marks a novelty in relations within the Western bloc. The need to maintain greater convergence in security issues, however, remains a priority in the face of new global emergencies, the dangers of terrorism and facing international tensions, although of a world no longer in two parts, but with increasingly important players, like China. Within the West the role of the Atlantic Alliance retains its priority in matters of defense and security; if before the members of the alliance were substantially aligned, as well as on the military issues also on those of international relations and economic relations, the current scenario returns a situation that has progressively changed the respective needs of individual states in the face of globalization issues and internal politics. The conflictual relationship that began on the commodities, and on the relative duties to impose, between the USA and Europe, since Trump became the new American president, has outlined a distance between the two sides as had never happened in history; however, the Trump variable also provoked a strong difference in the assessment of the Iranian nuclear agreement: with Europe it is wishing to maintain its signed with Tehran, while the United States, closer to the Sunni powers and Israel compared to the Obama's presidency, are now deeply opposed to allowing the civil development of Iranian country's atomic technology. Another negative factor is the American negative attitude towards the climate agreement. At the summit of the Atlantic Alliance these tensions caused an alarm due to the fear of relapse within the alliance, considering the fact that Turkey has so far moved alongside Russia, a traditional opponent of the Atlantic Alliance, which has recently taken back a role of primary importance in the international scene and of the recent declarations of the new Italian government, which said it was in favor of a revision of sanctions against Moscow, imposed because of the Ukrainian question, an opinion supported by several states belonging to the European Union. The Secretary of the Atlantic Alliance voiced the growing discomfort within the organization, recognizing that the major divergences present must not compromise security cooperation, which would weaken cooperation among Alliance members. For the time being, international analysts believe that the issues that cause distance between the members have not had an impact on the functioning of the Atlantic Alliance, but that should an increase in disagreement occur, the next summit of the organization could be very difficult. There is also the problem of the American request, to the other states to increase military spending up to 2% of the individual gross domestic product. Washington has a double interest in these increases in spending: on the one hand a greater participation in defense spending, a legitimate request because up to now the US, also to maintain the status quo of the world's first power, an aspect to which they care a lot , they have supported much of the financial effort to keep the alliance efficient, but there is also another, less noble aspect, which consists in wanting to target this expenditure in armaments produced in the US borders. This aspect could generate further conflicts because the obstacles for the European industries imposed by the US prevent access to the Atlantic Alliance market, going, in fact, to constitute a form of protectionism practiced by other means. The concern of the leaders of the Atlantic Alliance is, therefore, justified, and can be mitigated with a very difficult internal diplomatic action, also because the European Union, although still far away, has undertaken the direction of the creation of a European army, which it may not be framed in the Atlantic Alliance, either to make itself more independent of American aid, and to have room for maneuver and greater autonomy in international contexts. This goal is considered indispensable by Germany and France to avoid excessive dependence on subjects like Trump in the future.