Washington reportedly wants Austria, Italy, Hungary, and Poland to leave the European Union as part of a dramatic new Make Europe Great Again strategy under Donald Trump, according to a leaked document that has triggered shockwaves across Europe.
The alleged full draft of the National Security Strategy (NSS) claims the United States should encourage the four countries to move closer into the American orbit by quitting the bloc altogether. A partial version of the NSS released last week had already sparked outrage after warning of civilizational erasure in Europe due to what it described as destructive open migration and censorship policies.
The unpublished draft seen by US outlet Defense One goes further, suggesting Washington should work more with the goal of pulling the four nations away from the European Union, backing governments and movements that seek sovereignty and preservation or restoration of traditional European ways of life.
The leak emerged days after the official 33 page strategy stunned European governments with blunt claims that some longstanding allies may no longer be reliable partners. Despite anger across the EU, the White House stood firmly behind its published version.
“President Trump is transparent and has signed a national security strategy that clearly directs the US government to implement its established principles and priorities,” Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said.
According to Defense One, the unpublished draft outlines an overhaul in the US approach to Europe, portraying Brussels as an institution that erodes sovereignty, restricts freedoms, and fuels instability through mass migration. It surfaced amid an already tense atmosphere following Trump’s renewed attacks on EU policies.
In interviews this week, the President said Europe’s leaders were destroying their countries through migration, claiming some nations were falling apart. The leak also escalated tensions between Washington and Europe as the two sides disputed strategy over the war in Ukraine.
Trump recently disclosed that strong words were exchanged during a call with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and French President Emmanuel Macron. Merz acknowledged there had been friction but said more discussions were planned and hinted at a potential meeting next week.
The countries named in the alleged US strategy align closely with Trump’s strongest political allies in Europe. He has repeatedly praised Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, exempted Budapest from certain sanctions over Russian energy, and maintained close relations with Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki.
Trump has also spoken warmly of Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, describing her as a fantastic woman who has taken Europe by storm. Austria, under Chancellor Christian Stocker, reportedly rounds out the list of countries the US aims to bring closer.
The draft proposal reportedly calls for backing political and cultural movements that protect traditional European ways of life whilst remaining pro American. Reaction across Europe was swift and severe.
Leslie Vinjamuri, President and CEO of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and former director of the US and Americas programme at Chatham House, said the strategy represented a fundamental shift. “This is Donald Trump drawing a line in the sand, the end of the post Cold War liberal international order,” she stated.
European Council President Antonio Costa responded sharply, declaring that the United States cannot replace European citizens in choosing which are the right parties and which are the wrong parties. Speaking at the Jacques Delors Institute in Paris, Costa said Europe could not accept threats of interference in its political life.
Germany’s Merz took a more cautious approach, calling some parts of the strategy understandable but insisting Europe must become much more independent from the US in terms of security policy.
Poland’s Donald Tusk appealed for stability, writing on social media that Europe is America’s closest ally, not a problem. “We need to stick to this, this is the only reasonable strategy for our common security,” he said.
However, not all European leaders condemned the leak. Dutch far right politician Geert Wilders welcomed it, writing that Trump speaks the truth about Europe changing rapidly into a medieval continent thanks to open borders and mass immigration.
Defense One reported that the longer draft also touches on a broader vision of global power, suggesting US hegemony was not achievable, proposing reduced American commitment to European defence, and floating the creation of a new Core 5 grouping consisting of the US, China, Russia, India, and Japan.
The White House has dismissed the leaked sections entirely. Kelly said no alternative, private, or classified version exists, adding that anyone claiming insight was distant from the President and has no idea what they are talking about.
The published National Security Strategy, released on 5 December 2025, already contained harsh language about Europe’s trajectory. It warned that if current trends continue, the continent will become unrecognizable within 20 years or less, citing concerns about migration, declining birth rates, and loss of national identities.
The document stated that Europe faces the prospect of civilizational erasure and accused the EU of undermining political freedom and sovereignty. It also praised patriotic European parties resisting what it termed Brussels’ overreach.
The controversy comes as Trump seeks to end Russia’s war in Ukraine and reestablish strategic stability with Moscow. The strategy makes clear that improving relations with Russia is a core US interest, a position that has alarmed European capitals concerned about their own security.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the document absolutely corresponds to Russia’s vision, praising elements that suggest reduced NATO expansion and improved US Russia relations. The positive Russian response has only deepened European concerns about the strategic implications.
The published strategy also calls for asserting US dominance in the Western Hemisphere and accepting Middle East leaders as they are, marking a departure from previous emphasis on promoting democratic values abroad.
European officials note that aside from Britain, which voted to leave the EU in 2016, no other member nation has expressed interest in exiting the political and economic bloc. Even in countries where Euroskepticism runs higher, such as France and Italy, such sentiments remain in the minority.
The leaked draft’s proposal to actively work toward breaking up the EU represents a dramatic escalation from previous American policy, which traditionally supported European integration as a bulwark against Soviet and later Russian influence.
Analysts suggest the revelations will embolden nationalist parties across Europe whilst alarming mainstream governments that have based their security policies on transatlantic cooperation. The question now is whether Trump’s administration will actively pursue the strategy outlined in the alleged draft or whether the published version represents a more moderate final position.
