Written by Marcin Grajewski,

US President Donald Trump has pushed ahead in recent months with his controversial policies on trade and defence, which critics say could undermine the global rules-based order and create new uncertainties. The European Union’s trade spat with the US eased somewhat following a meeting of European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker with Trump in July. However, the NATO summit earlier that month and Trump’s subsequent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin did little to reassure the EU about the stability of transatlantic relations.
This note offers links to recent commentaries and reports published by international think tanks on President Trump’s policy moves, focusing on relations with Europe, Russia, China and trade. It does not cover reports on Iran, North Korea and the US domestic situation, which will be topics of future issues of What think tanks are thinking.
US-EU
The Trump-Juncker meeting in DC raises urgent questions for the next Commission
Centre for European Policy Studies, August 2018
Can lowering trade barriers fuel American energy exports to Europe?
Atlantic Council, August 2018
Germany’s current account surplus: A transatlantic view on the debate
Bertelsmann Stiftung, August 2018
The EU needs to rethink its approach to liberal order
Carnegie Europe, August 2018
An Eastern European view on great power politics
Egmont, August 2018
Was the Trump-Juncker meeting really a success?
Atlantic Council, July 2018
Europe’s trade victory in Washington
Peterson Institute of International Economics, July 2018
Trading Places: How the EU-China Summit underlined US isolationism in trade under Trump
Council on Foreign Relations, July 2018
It’s time for the United States and Europe to face the politics of cultural displacement
Brookings Institution, July 2018
Yes, he can: Trump provokes a trade war. A clever EU will refrain from further tariffs but hold firm on WTO rules
Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, July 2018
Is Europe America’s friend or foe?
Bruegel, July 2018
Trump’s vindictive return to Europe
International Institute for Strategic Studies, August 2018
Trump provides China an opening in Europe
Carnegie Europe, July 2018
If the EU is Trump’s Foe, the EU should address Trumpism within Europe
Egmont, July 2017
L’Europe: Sujet ou objet de la géopolitique des données ?
Institut français des relations internationales, July 2018
A plea for European Atlanticism
Friends of Europe, July 2018
The EU and multilateralism in an age of great powers
Egmont, July 2018
US-Russia and security
Enlarge NATO to ensure peace in Europe
Atlantic Council, August 2018
The myth of Trump’s ‘soft’ Russia policy
Cato Institute, August 2018
The Helsinki Summit and great power competition
Brookings Institution, August 2018
What’s Vladimir Putin’s next play?
Heritage Foundation, August 2018
Walking a fine line on Russian sanctions
Rand Corporation, August 2018
Unpacked: What Trump gets right and wrong about defense burden sharing
Brookings Institution, August 2018
If Trump wants to show he’s tough on Russia, here’s what he should do next
Atlantic Council, July 2018
Trump’s biggest gift to Putin
Council on Foreign Relations, July 2018
At Helsinki Summit, Trump and Putin become partners in destruction
Chatham House, July 2018
The Trump-Putin Summit: The emphasis is the dialogue, not the outcome
National Institute for Security Studies, July 2018
Trump’s meaningless NATO spending debate
European Council on Foreign Relations, July 2018
Why Europe is very nervous about a Trump-Putin summit
European Council on Foreign Relations, July 2018
Trump’s performance in Helsinki shouldn’t have come as a surprise
German Marshall Fund, July 2018
What did the 2018 NATO Summit accomplish with respect to cyber issues?
Council on Foreign Relations, July 2018
Ukraine’s Helsinki hangover
German Marshall Fund, July 2018
The watershed that wasn’t in Helsinki
Brookings Institution, July 2018
US-Russia relations and a second Trump-Putin summit
Brookings Institution, July 2018
The United States and Russia aren’t allies. But Trump and Putin are
Brookings Institution, July 2018
Trump and Putin go home
Carnegie Europe, July 2018
The Trump administration’s National Security Strategy
Real Instituto Elcano, July 2018
Trump’s attitude toward NATO makes Putin’s job easier
Carnegie Europe, July 2018
Trump’s NATO
Carnegie Europe, July 2018
Western unity is best for Russian summitry
Rand Corporation, July 2018
US-China
How the United States should confront China without threatening the global trading system
Peterson Institute of International Economics, August 2018
US-China trade war: What’s in it for Europe?
Bruegel, August 2018
The worst scenario for an emerging trade war with China
Heritage Foundation, August 2018
America under Trump lacks the commitment to compete with China in Asia to defend the global order
International Institute for Strategic Studies, August 2018
US-China Competition: Trade wars for technological supremacy
Istituto per gli Studi di Politica Internazionale, August 2018
The US-China trade war: Different messages
Rand Corporation, July 2018
US tariffs and China’s holding of Treasuries
Bruegel, July 2018
Trade deal with Mexico
Trump’s new trade agreement: What’s in it?
Atlantic Council, August 2018
A reported NAFTA auto deal would backfire against consumers and auto makers alike
Peterson Institute of International Economics, August 2018
Trump’s deal with Mexico: A new NAFTA?
Council on Foreign Relations, August 2018
U.S.-Mexico trade deal: What was agreed and what comes next
Cato Institute, August 2018
Other related reports
The global order will outlast US leadership
Rand Corporation, August 2018
Portrait de Donald Trump: Président des Etats-Unis
Institut Montaigne, August 2018
Donald Trump n’est pas un protectionniste archaïque, c’est un mercantiliste pragmatique
Institut Thomas More, August 2018
Summing up the Trump summits
Council on Foreign Relations, July 2018
The cost of Trump’s economic nationalism: A loss of foreign investment in the United States
Peterson Institute of International Economics, July 2018
Power in the international trading system: Trump administration risks destroying world trade order
Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, July 2018
Ubu ou Machiavel?
Bruegel, July 2018
Reforming the WTO: With or without the US?
Institut Jacques Delors, July 2018
Trump is wrong: Guns alone don’t make a super power
Friends of Europe, July 20184
Read this briefing on ‘President Trump’s trade and international policies‘ on the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.
[…] from major international think tanks on EU foreign and defence policies. Links to more reports on President Donald Trump’s policies, Russia, EU-China relations and NATO available in previous items of the series published last […]
[…] from major international think tanks on EU foreign and defence policies. Links to more reports on President Donald Trump’s policies, Russia, EU-China relations and NATO available in previous items of the series published last […]
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all what you present is very nice…..but here nothing applies…we are in the EU but all this is not avaible for us in Romania….so we are 3rd class citizen..or how…HOW JUNKER does not see this problems…and does nothing…seems to grave failure