I'm not disputing any of that, the reasoning from the US perspective is pretty solid. US's real strength isn't their nuclear arsenal, it's the legitimacy its al

I'm not disputing any of that, the reasoning from the US perspective is pretty solid. US's real strength isn't their nuclear arsenal, it's the legitimacy its allies grant them, with the EU being at the top of the list. So the allies must stay on their side even if it means using these methods. From the US perspective losing the EU as allies is a double whammy because it also likely means US enemies would gain some, hence treating them as potential "enemies to be". I also agree that fewer levers remain and we can see this with all the EU's recent political, legal, or economic moves that no longer really fall in line with US policy.