Washington’s closest allies in Europe are developing a security strategy in case Donald Trump returns to the White House. The Washington Post reports this.
European politicians who survived Trump’s first presidency say they are more prepared for a second one and are developing various contingency plans in the areas of security and trade, the newspaper writes. Including ways to protect against potential trade wars and security changes. One of the measures boils down to trying to quickly approve the provision of more military aid to kyiv, before the elections in the United States. But in some ways, Europeans admit that the region is less prepared than before to deal with Trump.
“The last time Trump was in the White House, he faced ‘Europe’s decision-maker’: Germany’s stalwart chancellor. Angela Merkel. But today there is no leader on the continent of such stature that can serve as a counterweight. president of france Emmanuel Macron politically weakened, having lost its ruling majority. chancellor of germany Olaf Scholz mired in internal coalition conflicts and facing a far-right resurgence. After three months in office, the UK Prime Minister’s approval rating Keira Starmer reached a historic low” – says the article.
Interviews with 15 politicians, diplomats and leading analysts in five European countries showed that, regardless of who wins, Europe sees an upcoming reality check on its dependence on the United States.
EU officials have already drawn up lists of retaliatory tariffs in case of trade wars, as well as outlined negotiation strategies. European officials say they believe they can reassure Trump by offering cooperation to combat China’s unfair trade practices or by promising to increase imports to the United States.
European diplomats say they have learned how to deal with Trump: how to play to his ego and allow him to claim some kind of victory. European governments, in turn, are trying to establish more contacts within the Trump and Republican Party camps than last time.
“One thing is clear: we are not sitting here like a rabbit caught in the headlights. Regardless of who wins the US election, the US focus in the future will increasingly be on the Indo-Pacific region. Europeans will have to do even more for their security,” a representative of the German Defense Ministry in particular told the Washington Post. Michael Steffle.
