Trust on trial: A year of 'rebalancing' US-EU ties As Trump's return to the White House accelerated a realist policy turn, Europe spent 2025 grappling with a fractured alliance By XING YI in London | China Daily | Updated: 2026-01-06 09:40

https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202601/06/WS695c682ea310d6866eb32314.html When Donald Trump was sworn in as president of the United States for a second time a year ago, European leaders felt prepared. After all, they had dealt with Trump's unpredictability during his first term, while the prospect of his return had been widely discussed in the media, with analysts drawing up scenarios and assessing the potential implications for Europe.