Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Foreign ministers of French, Germany and Polish have planned a visit to the U.S. immediately after Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20
Three EU diplomats have revealed to POLITICO having ministers from the three major EU countries travel together would create a “show of European unity,” one of the delegates said.
The journey is still in the planning phases, and no date has yet been announced. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski are expected to be accompanied by the EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas.
EU leaders said they were cautiously open to cooperating with the incoming Trump administration but were not going to back down in the face of any aggressive moves, such as trade tariffs and Trump’s earlier threat to annex Greenland. EU leaders have stated that they are willing to cooperate with the Trump administration on security and economic issues. Still, they will not take their eyes off unilateral actions that might disrupt established norms and agreements.
What concerns does the EU have about Trump’s policies?
There is fear among the officials in the EU that the Trump administration may enforce trade tariffs on the country, as witnessed during his first term. Such policies might put pressure on transatlantic relations and hurt European economies.
Trump renewed his interest in Greenland for “national security purposes,” a development that set off alarms in Europe. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot noted that the EU will not take kindly to its borders being threatened and underlined the delicacy surrounding Greenland, which is a Danish autonomous territory. He previously stated his concerns regarding NATO expansion into Ukraine, and membership was seen as highly questionable. His words have sparked debate among the EU leaders over the need for an integrated defense front and the insistence on NATO as the bedrock of European security.
