A Trump administration official has described a recent message to Europe as a ‘warning’.
Last month, the US National Security Strategy was released, drawing criticism for labeling European partners as ‘weak’ and expressing support for far-right parties in Europe. The document also accused Europe of facing ‘civilisational erasure’ due to its migration and censorship policies.
On Monday (January 5), Jacob Helberg, the US under secretary of state for economic affairs, clarified that the document was intended as a ‘warning’ rather than an ‘insult’ to European allies.
Helberg emphasized that the US aims to encourage further deregulation in Europe. He mentioned that Trump has been exerting pressure on Denmark, arguing that Greenland, a Danish autonomous territory, should be under US control for ‘national security’ purposes.
“We want Europe to be strong,” Helberg stated. “For Europe to achieve strength, it must accelerate deregulation and reduce its dependence on adversarial powers.
“Whether Europe partners with the US to strengthen supply chains or engages with other powers, we want to ensure it avoids partnerships with countries that might coerce or blackmail it continuously.”
He further commented on the urgency for reform: “There is concern in Washington regarding the necessity for substantial reforms to revive the European economy.
“With the right reforms, we believe revival is possible.”
Addressing the document’s intention as a ‘warning’, Helberg added: “I understand the national security strategy, particularly its language about Europe and civilisational erasure, attracted significant attention in Europe.
“I want to emphasize that the language serves as a warning, not as an insult.”
He continued: “In the United States, there is a growing concern about the crisis represented by Europe’s declining share of global GDP.”
This warning comes shortly after Trump ordered strikes on Venezuela and US special forces detained Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Additionally, Trump has escalated his rhetoric regarding Greenland.
Meanwhile, Europe is still contending with the military threat from Vladimir Putin’s Russia, as the invasion of Ukraine persists into 2026.