During the Cold War, the United States occupied the apex of this triangular dynamic, pitting China and the USSR against each other. Today, it is Beijing that occupies that apex.
Anti-EU and anti-democratic attitudes are encouraged not only by the Kremlin but also have found an ally in Trump, who has often been hostile to the European Union.
The challenge for Washington is no longer whether it possesses sufficient capabilities, but whether the political system can align those capabilities behind a coherent long-term priority.