Europe prepares to change relations with US if Trump wins - Washington Post
European officials are developing a strategy on how to avoid a trade war with the United States, how to regulate security policy, and how to deal with Donald Trump on a diplomatic level if he wins the US presidential election.
According to Censor.NET, The Washington Post writes about it.
The publication writes that having survived one Trump presidency, European politicians say they are better prepared for the second. They are developing various contingency plans for security and trade. However, in a sense, they recognise that Europe is now less equipped to deal with Trump than it was before, the article says.
"Interviews with 15 executives, politicians, diplomats and leading analysts from five European countries suggest that regardless of who wins, the region faces a future reality check on its dependence on the United States," the article says.
The WP reminds us that Democratic candidate Kamala Harris has declared the NATO alliance "ironclad". However, some senior European officials and diplomats believe that as president, she is more likely to follow in the footsteps of President Barack Obama than President Joe Biden and shift US attention to East Asia.
"Regardless of who wins the US election, US attention will increasingly focus on the Indo-Pacific region in the future. The Europeans will have to do even more for their security," Michael Stempfle, a spokesman for the German Ministry of Defence, told The Washington Post.
But overwhelmingly, the concerns expressed by European officials are focused on Trump. According to diplomats, the rapid response task force at EU headquarters is primarily focused on developing a strategy for his return.
Last time Trump was in office, he imposed tariffs on steel and aluminium from the European Union. But this time, he says he will go further. He is campaigning for the most significant tariff increase in almost a century. The newspaper notes that Germany, a frequent target of Trump, looks particularly vulnerable.
WP also writes that Trump's commitment to Ukraine in its war against Russia is uncertain. To hedge against a possible White House reversal on Ukraine, European officials have stressed the need to push through aid packages before the November elections. The new NATO command has also taken over some of the Pentagon's responsibilities for coordinating military assistance to Kyiv.
European countries are also increasing their military spending to the highest level since the Cold War.
European officials acknowledge that the loss of US defence support would be a devastating blow. The war in Ukraine has clearly shown how difficult it will be for Europeans to stand alone and how high the stakes are, the newspaper writes.
