Special to The Hill

In the wake of the state visit to Washington of French President Emmanuel Macron and the upcoming meeting between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Donald Trump, an already rocky relationship between the United States and Europe faces serious challenges in the months ahead. May 12 is the deadline for a Trump administration threat to pull out of the Iran nuclear agreement, despite European objections, and there are ongoing transatlantic differences over steel tariffs and how to deal with Russia, Iran and North Korea.

In the past, U.S.-European relations have weathered strains thanks, in part, to the moderating influence of influential thought leaders on either side of the Atlantic. However, a new survey of 373 foreign policy, national security and economic experts by Pew Research Center, in association with the German Marshall Fund of the United States, suggests that this transatlantic community may be unable to unite as effectively as in the past, owing to severe doubts about the current U.S. administration and differences over how to respond to Russia and the spread of fake news.

Read more at The Hill