Will Trump carry out his threat to remove US troops from Europe?
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The latest threat of AI apocalypse has inspired a mixture of dread and doubt in the Swiss press. But the antics of mega-US companies might also serve as inspiration for others.
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Soldiers and IT experts sit in front of screens during NATO’s Locked Shields cyber defence exercise
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The already shaky military alliance between the United States and Europe wobbled even more last week as US President Donald Trump took aim once again at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). This has left the Swiss media wondering whether this marriage of military might be headed for a divorce.
The Tages-Anzeiger pulled no punches in its assessment of the situation. “Trump is engaging in blackmail,” said the newspaper after his stormy meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
“Nothing is normal anymore in the NATO-US relationship,” added Fredy Gsteiger, diplomatic correspondent at Swiss public broadcaster SRF. “This bodes ill for NATO. Such messages are received with satisfaction in the enemy camp,” Gsteiger said, referring to Russia.
Trump’s latest beef is the reluctance of NATO countries to join hostilities against Iran. The Swiss press views this argument with incredulity. The consensus view is that Iran poses no threat to Europe or any NATO member state.
Trump has threatened to withdraw US troops from Europe in the past, without following up on these statements. “But with an erratic president who says one thing today and does the opposite tomorrow, such threats must be taken seriously,” said the Tages-Anzeiger.
The newspaper is clear that the US has become an unreliable partner in the future defence of Europe. This puts the onus on Europe to beef up its own military credentials.
“When a US president like Trump uses the continent’s security as leverage, dependence on this partner remains a risk,” the Tages-Anzeiger writes. “Therefore, more serious European cooperation, greater military capabilities, more strategic independence, and faster closing of critical gaps are no longer optional, but essential.”
The NROL-77 mission lifts off on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA, December 2025
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The impending stock market listing of Elon Musk’s company SpaceX could inspire a new golden age of firms offering shares to the public, hopes the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ).
Market observers speculate that SpaceX could be valued at up to $1.8 trillion (CHF1.4 trillion) at its initial public offering (IPO), more than double the previous record IPO by Saudi Aramco in 2019.
The NZZ bemoans a recent trend of start-ups preferring venture capital funding to expand, only to be taken over by a larger rival. This means that only private equity firms and company founders get to benefit from the profits.
Listing on a stock exchange spreads wealth more evenly, the business-friendly newspaper argues. “Small investors would also benefit, as nothing contributes to the democratisation of company ownership and wealth accumulation as much as publicly traded shares,” writes the NZZ.
But the newspaper also strikes a note of caution. The euphoria surrounding the listing plans of SpaceX, and other companies like OpenAI and Anthropic, also comes with risks.
“Some of these lofty dreams could burst. The business models of the two AI specialists, in particular, are still largely untested,” the NZZ says.
The hype surrounding such huge company listings in the United States could also come back to haunt small investors, it says. The markets are relying on Elon Musk and other company founders playing fair rather than dumping their existing stakes for a quick profit.
“Do they [IPOs] offer new, publicly traded shareholders the prospect of capital gains, or do they merely serve as an opportunity for existing owners to cash in on their shares?” asks the NZZ.
AI companies insist they are best placed to control the technology.
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The Silicon Valley firm Anthropic has created yet another stir with its new model called Mythos that can easily detect weaknesses in IT systems. Anthropic appears alarmed at the power of its creation, holding back release for fear of it falling into the hands of malicious hackers.
But several Swiss media sense a familiar marketing ruse from the AI industry playbook. Companies first spread alarm at the threat posed by the mysterious new technology and then assure people about their ability to control it for public good.
“With these announcements, Anthropic is achieving a double victory: the company is demonstrating the power of its upcoming models while simultaneously projecting an image of a responsible player in artificial intelligence,” says Le Temps.
The Geneva newspaper points out that Anthropic is planning to raise fresh funds by issuing shares in an anticipated Initial Public Offering (IPO). The company is also embroiled in a row with the White House over allowing the US Department of Defense to use its technology.
Mythos could be the key to both raising public awareness about Anthropic and persuading US President Donald Trump to adopt a more positive stance towards the company.
The Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) also asks whether Anthropic is scaremongering about the capabilities of Mythos. It points out that another tech company has already spotted many of the same IT vulnerabilities using older AI models.
The NZZ points out that security concerns about outdated IT systems have been sounded for years – way before AI popped up. Perhaps the Mythos scare could finally prompt faster and more efficient action to patch up leaky databases, it says.
“IT security professionals could use this opportunity to secure necessary funding. If they succeed, the considerable buzz surrounding Mythos would certainly have a positive effect,” the newspaper concludes.
The next edition of ‘Swiss views of US news’ will be published on Wednesday, April 22. See you then!
If you have any comments or feedback, email english@swissinfo.ch
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