FLASH
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According to the American media outlet Defense One, the draft revealed that the US should "work more" with Italy, Austria, Poland and Hungary.
The publication of the Trump administration's National Security Strategy on December 4, 2025, caused new tensions in US-EU relations as European politicians interpreted the document as an open provocation and an indication of a broader American strategy to weaken Europe.
The official text, which every new US administration presents to Congress, describes Europe as a continent in decline, warning of the risk of "cultural extinction" due to immigration policies. At the same time, it speaks of "censorship of free speech" and "suppression of political opposition", formulations that caused great concern in European capitals.
Concerns were heightened by information about a broader, unpublished draft of the strategy, which was allegedly leaked before its official release. According to the American media outlet Defense One, the draft revealed that the US should “work harder” with Italy, Austria, Poland and Hungary, European nations that have governments and movements that subscribe to supposedly traditional right-wing values, with the aim of “moving them away” from the European Union and the ultimate goal of “Making Europe Great Again.” The White House denied the existence of this document, but questions remain about Washington’s true intentions.
Predictable Hungary
Hungary is considered the least unexpected case, as Prime Minister Viktor Orban has maintained a close political relationship with Donald Trump since 2016. Orban is seen by Brussels as a destabilizing factor, while his government is facing a freeze on European funds due to concerns about the rule of law. Despite the US president's denials, reports indicate that Orban has sought financial support from the US, at a time when the Hungarian economy is being tested.
Interest in Italy
Washington is also showing particular interest in Italy, with Trump expressing positive views of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her party, the Brothers of Italy. However, analysts such as Daniel Hegendus of the German Marshall Fund believe that the US government is overestimating Meloni's willingness to clash with the EU. Despite her ideological affinities with Orbán, the Italian prime minister has adopted a pragmatic stance and has not acted as a blocking factor within the Union.
The cases of Poland and Austria, although not currently governed by right-wing populists, remain areas with a strong influence of eurosceptic forces. In Austria, the far-right Freedom Party came first in the recent elections and is leading in opinion polls, while in Poland Karol Nawrotski won the presidency, with the support of the conservative Law and Justice party. Why are the Czech Republic and Slovakia missing from the planning?
On the contrary, the absence of the Czech Republic and Slovakia from the respective reports raises questions, despite the fact that both countries are governed or dominated by forces with strong Eurosceptic characteristics. Hegedus attributes this choice to Washington's ideological perspective, emphasizing that parties without a clear right-wing populist identity are not considered "natural allies", even if they pursue policies beneficial to the US.
Experts on transatlantic relations estimate that the US's goal is not to promote the immediate withdrawal of one of these four countries from the Union, which would be called "Huxit", "Italexit", "Auxit" or "Polexit", respectively, but rather to promote a gradual disintegration of European integration, through diplomatic, political and perhaps even economic support.
An illustrative example is Hungary's refusal to comply with the Union's decisions to give up Russian natural gas, as well as the exemption it secured from US sanctions.
The C5 Group as a counterweight to the G7
Beyond the rift in the European Union, unpublished documents from the Trump Doctrine, discovered by Defense One, also show a willingness on Washington's part to "hit" the G7 as well.
Over the summer, the Republican president caused a stir when he complained about Russia's exclusion from the Group of Eight (now the Group of Seven - G7), calling it "a very big mistake." He had even suggested adding China to form a "G9."
His strategy reportedly proposes the creation of a new group of major powers, one that would not be limited by the G7's demands for wealthy, democratically governed countries. The new group, the "Core 5" or C5, would consist of the United States, China, Russia, India and Japan, countries with populations over 100 million. This group would meet regularly, like the G7, on specific issues.
At the top of the C5 agenda is security in the Middle East and in particular the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
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