The world is at a point of extreme discomfort, even pain. The first year of the second Trump administration was brutal, undermining the structures of democracy within the US and actively seeking to destroy the post-WWII global order everywhere else. In the global south, the cuts to US aid are clearly biting, but they are also allowing a strong presence from China and Russia. In Iran and Ukraine, people feel abandoned by the US, as do the Kurds in Syria. And in Europe, historically the US’ strongest ally, there is a sense of betrayal: of trust, of shared values, of allied promises.
Donald Trump poses a problem in himself: he is publicly rude toward his allies — as people and as states — and he ignores protocol. He demands adulation, even when it is not due. He makes respect difficult, not least when he threatens to invade an allied state or demands territories as a matter of pure ownership. He denies dignity, not an easy prospect in international affairs and diplomacy.
ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El is joined by Almut Möller, Director for European and Global Affairs at the European Policy Centre (EPC), and Signe Biering, a former senior Danish diplomat and an expert on moderation and facilitation. Their combined experience and wonderful insights allow for a deep and fascinating reflection on how Europe is placed and feeling in this time of extraordinary change, and what it needs to seek going forward — as people, as states, as Europeans, as allies.
This episode was recorded on 22 January 2026
Chapters
- Cultural perspectives in Europe
- Why dignity in diplomacy is important
- Navigating modern diplomacy
- The changing landscape of European alliances
Mentions
Follow
- Signe Biering website & LinkedIn
- Almut Möller LinkedIn & ECP website
- Ilana Bet-El
- Instagram @women_leaders_podcast
- Listen this episode on our YouTube channel
Credits
- Production: Florence Ferrando
- Music: Let Good Times Roll, RA from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/let-good-times-roll License code: ZXIIIJUU2ISPZIJT
The European Leadership Network itself as an institution holds no formal policy positions. The opinions articulated above represent the views of the authors rather than the European Leadership Network or its members. The ELN aims to encourage debates that will help develop Europe’s capacity to address the pressing foreign, defence, and security policy challenges of our time, to further its charitable purposes.
Image credit: Florence Ferrando
