How could the Republican’s return to the White House impact European defense and the war in Ukraine?
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This is the great unknown. Donald Trump’s victory in the American presidential election casts a veil of uncertainty over the future of Ukraine.
The Republican had notably expressed his desire to “end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours” if he was elected.
Some experts believe that this agreement could be signed to the detriment of Kyiv.
“Mr. Trump has signaled his willingness and ability to strike a super-quick peace deal, which could very well mean that Kyiv would be forced to give in to Russian demands that it certainly does not want, to end the war”, Vassilis Ntousas, head of European operations for the Alliance for Democracy at the German Marshall Fund, told Euronews.
In the corridors of the European Parliament, not everyone sees things the same way.
Delighted with Donald Trump’s victory, António Tânger Corrêa hopes that the end of the war in Ukraine is near, while emphasizing the need to strengthen European defense capabilities.
“I hope he (Donald Trump) ends the war in Ukraine and everyone likes the solution”the Portuguese MEP (Patriots for Europe) told Euronews.
The far-right MEP also calls on Europe to invest in its defense industry: “You don’t need to fight a war to have a defense, but having a good defense helps prevent wars”he believes.
Faced with the return of “America first” and American non-interventionism, Belgian MEP Elio Di Rupo (S&D), for his part, calls on the old continent to equip itself with “its own industrial policy in areas such as energy, security and defense”.
“There has not been this determined desire to be at the forefront in terms of new technologies, to be at the forefront in terms of defense, in terms of the specific security of our fellow citizens”he regrets.
“Today, we are totally dependent for our security on the United States within NATO. We must have our own capabilities, he adds. We are friends of the United States, but I don’t want to be the poodle of the United States.”.
Although the pill is bitter for some, others in Brussels hope that Donald Trump’s victory will serve as a shock to push Europe to take its security and defense into its own hands.
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