The message clarifies it in black and white, in case there is a doubt. The Trump administration shares an innate sloppy to Europe’s dependence on the United States.
In a sensitive, blow-off exchange, shared carelessly with sensitive, atlantic journalists, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses describing Europe as the “pathetic” freeloader.
Vice President JD Vance even proposed suspending strikes against Yemen’s Houthi target. This is because European economies benefit more from transportation through the Suez Canal than America. “I hate bailing out Europe again.”
Ultimately, you reach a compromise. The strike goes on, but Europeans are billed.
The message was a surprising and confrontational tone of Trump’s teams towards Europe, particularly in their contributions to NATO and the war in Ukraine. Few officials on the continent believed rhetoric was harsh love and still stuck to the belief that Europe was meant to help them stand on their own feet.
But this is more than just an attitude. The leaks make clear that Vance is particularly opposed to what he considers as European sclancer, but Europe sees it as mutually beneficial arrangements that allow intelligence, military support and security cooperation to flow in both ways.
Ranking European capitals. The UK and the Netherlands joined the Biden administration, which hit the target of Houthi, and London provided air refueling for the very strikes discussed in leaked signal group chats.
Prime Minister Kiel Starmer’s official spokesman told journalists on Tuesday that the UK retained confidence that it could share intelligence firmly with the US. However, he tried to make clear that the UK government has “very strict rules and arrangements” for safe communication. “The categorized information must be communicated across the appropriate security system,” he said.
And it raises continental concerns about Vance’s seemingly prominent voice in Vance’s foreign policy debate. It was Vance who sparked a surprising debate with Ukrainian President Voldimi Zelensky in the oval office last month, and his speech at the Munich security conference marked the first salvo in a rapid reshaping of transatlantic relations.
The message is “another awakening call for the defence of real Europe,” former Belgian prime minister Verhofstadt wrote to X. “When will EU leaders act?”
