FLASH
Shkruar nga Pierre Haski*
Europe has still not come to terms with this de facto break in transatlantic relations.
If you had any doubts about the Trump administration's hostility toward Europe, here are two striking examples that should leave Europeans under no illusions.
The most shocking revelation came on Monday from American journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. He suddenly found himself added to a Signal messaging group along with Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and several other senior US officials. The group's purpose? To discuss plans for an attack on Yemen's Houthis - an attack that eventually took place on March 15.
The sheer recklessness with which communications security is being handled at this level of government is already astonishing. But what is even more striking is what The Atlantic's account reveals about the way Europe is being discussed at the highest levels of the Trump administration.
To these leaders of the most powerful nation in the world, Europeans are nothing more than "free cargo," and they must pay.
America's contempt for Europe
This is nothing new – Americans have long accused Europeans of not pulling their weight when it comes to defending the continent. Just 48 hours ago, Donald Trump reiterated that NATO without the United States is “nothing” – a statement that, while blunt, is not entirely untrue.
But it is quite surprising for a European to hear this exchange, as the journalist who witnessed it reports. The Pentagon chief explained that calculations were being made to "bill" Europe for the attack on the Houthis, since European businesses benefit from freedom of navigation in the region.
The Vice President agreed, saying: " I just hate to bail out Europe again ." To which the Secretary of Defense responded: "I completely share your hatred for European freeloading. It's pathetic."
For decades, Europeans have relied on Americans for their protection, which has now fueled this “contempt” from the new rulers of the United States. The constant wake-up call is all the more necessary, but it doesn’t seem to be making an impression in Washington.
Power play in Greenland
The second example is a new twist on Greenland, the Arctic territory belonging to Denmark that Trump wants to seize. The wife of Vice President JD Vance and National Security Advisor Mike Waltz have announced that they will travel to Greenland this week, despite not being invited by the authorities. For Europeans, there is a sense of a "broken relationship"
These visits were accompanied by comments suggesting that Greenland would become American "one way or another," a statement that the head of the Danish territory's local government called "aggressive."
This “aggressiveness” is once again directed at a European ally of the United States, Denmark, which sees this as a national tragedy. Trump behaves in this brutal way with his allies, such as Canada and Denmark. Yet at the same time, his special envoy Steve Witkoff had nothing but kind words for Vladimir Putin when negotiations on Ukraine opened in Riyadh.
For Europeans, there is a sense of "broken relationship" at the revelation of the extent of American hostility. But as in love, there is life after separation, and it is important to make the most of your new life./ Adapted from "Pamphlet" by "WorldCrunch"
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