According to the Telegraph, a leaked document purporting to be an extended version of the United States National Security Strategy (NSS) has triggered a wave of diplomatic tension, following claims that the Trump administration planned to weaken the European Union by drawing four member states away from the bloc. The White House has firmly rejected the report, calling it “fake news,” but international reactions suggest the allegations are being taken seriously across European capitals.
The leaked paper, reported by the US defence publication Defence One, is said to outline a more aggressive policy direction than the official 29-page NSS released on December 4. While the publicly released document warned that Europe risked “civilisational erasure” if it failed to curb migration, the alleged longer version spells out how Washington could “Make Europe Great Again” by deepening ties with nationalist governments positioned against Brussels.
According to the leaked account, the US would prioritise building close relationships with certain European leaders seen as ideologically aligned with the Trump administration, with the strategic aim of pulling them away from the EU’s political orbit. Although the White House insists no such document exists, the claims mirror President Donald Trump’s very public admiration for leaders such as Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Hungary’s Viktor Orbán. Both have received warm praise and political endorsement from the US president, who has repeatedly celebrated their nationalist platforms.
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The allegations emerge at a moment of increasing strain in US-European relations. Trump has criticised European governments as “weak” for failing to end the war in Ukraine and described the continent as being diminished by migration and political correctness. His remarks coincided with a rare intervention from Pope Leo XIV, who warned the US against sidelining Europe in ongoing discussions about Ukraine’s future. Speaking after talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Pope said that any credible peace process must involve Europe, stressing that the war is being fought on European soil and its consequences will be felt there for generations.
He cautioned that what he has read from the US suggests a shift that could “break apart what for many years has been a true alliance between Europe and the United States,” adding that the transatlantic partnership remains essential for global stability.
As debate over the leaked document intensifies, lawmakers in Washington are preparing to vote on the National Defence Authorization Act, which would place restrictions on how far the president can withdraw US military forces from Europe without the approval of Congress. The move reflects broader concerns within the American political establishment that the administration may be preparing for a dramatic strategic departure from long-standing alliances.
The leak also claimed that the US is considering forming a new global power grouping, reportedly called the “Core 5,” composed of the United States, China, Russia, India and Japan. While the White House has refused to comment on this element of the report, foreign policy analysts note that such an arrangement would profoundly reshape global diplomacy by sidelining Europe entirely.
Anna Kelly, spokesperson for the White House, dismissed all suggestions that an expanded NSS exists. She insisted that the president issued a single, transparent document and that anyone circulating alternative versions is “far removed from the president and has no idea what they are talking about.” Nevertheless, she did not deny the administration’s intention to strengthen ties with nationalist European governments, a move that many observers believe could achieve similar outcomes to those described in the alleged leak.
The broader implications of the controversy extend well beyond Europe. A deliberate weakening of the EU could shift global power balances in ways that directly affect Africa, including Nigeria, which often relies on joint EU-US policies in trade, security and economic development. Any significant shift in Western alliances could reshape global aid flows, migration policies and diplomatic priorities.
For now, the mystery surrounding the leaked NSS remains unresolved. Yet it has exposed a growing unease within Europe and rekindled questions about the Trump administration’s long-term foreign policy ambitions. Whether the document is authentic or not, it has amplified concerns that the transatlantic alliance—one of the world’s most enduring geopolitical partnerships—may be entering one of its most uncertain chapters.