Cis a supporter of Donald Trump, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who welcomes the heads of state and government of the EU and those from their neighborhood, in all 47 invited countries, from Iceland to Turkey and from Portugal to Ukraine. On the menu: the Russian war in Ukraine, the Middle East, migrations, etc., but also the perspectives on Donald Trump’s second term in the White House.
Also present in Budapest, the new Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, said he wanted to discuss with the Republican how the Alliance can defend itself against collective threats. “I’m thinking in particular about the role that North Korea is currently playing in Russia’s war against Ukraine, and what this shows about cooperation between Russia, North Korea, China and Iran. It is a threat not only to the European pillar of NATO, but also to the United States. »
“Facing” threats
In exchange for sending North Korean soldiers, Russia provides modern missile technology to Pyongyang, allowing Kim Jong-un’s regime to threaten the American continent and countries like Japan and South Korea, Mr Rutte said. “These are dangerous developments, and I want to sit down with President Trump to see how we can collectively confront these threats and keep our part of the world safe.” »
The Dutchman was known as a “Trump whisperer” during his time as Prime Minister. The president-elect “is very clear in what he wants and he understands that we must find common positions,” assured Mark Rutte on Thursday. Trump would have every interest in finding a common position on the war in Ukraine, suggested Mark Rutte, without however directly answering a question asked about arms deliveries to Ukraine. “If Russia were to achieve success in Ukraine, it would feel emboldened, which would pose a threat not only to Europe, but also to the United States,” he added.
Common interests
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, already worked with Donald Trump during his first term (2017-2021). “We have things we can build on,” she said. “We need to analyze what our common interests are and work on that.”
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo stressed the need for Europe to provide for its own security, if possible by collaborating with the United States. A trade war would not benefit anyone, he suggested. “In the two months left before Trump takes office, we have time to talk. We need to have an open discussion, and based on that, make our own choices.”
Asked about the objective assigned to NATO member states to move towards 2% of their GDP allocated to defense, the head of the resigning government saw an “industrial logic” in it. “We must give the defense industry a chance. It takes time, but now we are ready.”
Discuss goals
For Mark Rutte, it is largely to Donald Trump that more and more countries in the Alliance owe their success to reaching the 2% target. “He stimulated us in this direction.” But the American is right when he says that, in the current geopolitical context, this rate must be raised, adds the NATO Secretary General. “We still need to discuss whether this is a general objective or different objectives for each member state.”
On Friday, still in Budapest, an informal summit of EU heads of state and government will be held. The last chaired by the Belgian Charles Michel. For him, Europe should “deepen its ties” with the United States while “making itself more master of its own destiny”. The President of the European Council says he is convinced that the Americans also understand the need for the international community to remain firm with regard to authoritarian regimes. “If we were to show weakness, we would send a signal of vulnerability and the international order would be put at risk. And if the United States were to show weakness towards Russia, what would that mean for China? », he questions.
As for the breakup of the government coalition in Germany, European leaders also put on a good show by affirming their optimism about a rapid resolution of the crisis. Among others, Alexander De Croo said he did not expect a big impact outside the country. “Germany is of course the economic engine of the European club, but I would not dramatize the situation. “It’s part of democracy,” he put things into perspective.
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