Europe Facing Strategic Solitude : To extend Françoise Thom’s unsparing diagnosis, it seems that Europe, during the Davos and Brussels summits, has finally grasped the existential urgency of the moment. Usual timidity has given way to unprecedented firmness: in the face of new tariff threats from Washington, Europeans did not hesitate to invoke the "bazooka" of trade retaliation. This psychological shift crystallized in the masterful interventions of Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Mark Carney—who received a standing ovation—who, alongside a Zelensky with his dignity intact, marked the end of the Atlanticist illusion. It is time to face reality: the transatlantic bond will not be resurrected.

Donald Trump has made his choice: to bet on Vladimir Putin to dismantle the old order. In response, Europe can no longer settle for being a spectator; it must accept this strategic solitude. As the historian demonstrates, standing up to both "gangsters" simultaneously is no longer just a diplomatic option, but the strict condition for the continent's survival.