After refusing to sign a G7 summit declaration, President Trump directly connected the EU’s trade surplus with the US to Nato’s future
It appears that nations of western Europe are beginning to discover that when it comes to their relations with the US, it may no longer be business as usual. There are now fears that Mr Trump is forging an American approach that is hostile to the international order, including Nato.
Hear Donald Tusk, the president of the European Council :
“Despite our tireless efforts to keep the unity of the west, transatlantic relations are under immense pressure due to the policies of President Trump.
“Unfortunately, the divisions go beyond trade. It is my belief that while hoping for the best we must be ready to prepare our union for worst-case scenarios.”
Mr Tusk asked EU leaders to go beyond worrying about a looming trade war caused by unilateral American tariffs on steel and aluminium, to consider the potential breakdown of the post-war western alliance.
There now seems to be a consensus that EU leaders will have to agree to increase military spending and co-operation to reduce their dependency on American support for Nato.
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