For now, the unease is limited to awkward glances and less firm handshakes than usual. There, a US defense attaché has become more evasive than usual with his European counterpart; here, a US Army general was less available during the visit of his transatlantic counterpart. "The changes in attitude are subtle, but the discomfort is clear," said a European military source at the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Brussels.

Since Donald Trump returned to the White House, relations between American and European officers have become increasingly strained due to the new administration's expressed desire to militarily disengage from Europe in order to better redirect its forces toward Asia against China. "No one yet knows how this will materialize," said the same military source. "There is a lot of uncertainty. And the American officers are the most upset about this still unclear situation."

This tense context requires a constant balancing act. Like on Thursday, April 10, when a further meeting of the "coalition of the willing" took place at NATO headquarters, with allies ready to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, notably by sending ground troops.

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