Europe stands at start of new era due to Trump – Dutch Foreign Minister
Photo: Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp (Vitalii Nosach/RBC-Ukraine)
Europe is "at the start of a new era" and must learn to rely on itself, reacting realistically to the new policies of US President Donald Trump, Reuters reports, citing Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp.
Veldkamp’s remarks came after Friedrich Merz, the winner of the elections in Germany, questioned whether NATO would remain "in its current form" beyond June and stated that Europe must quickly establish independent defense capabilities.
"The era that started at the fall of the Berlin Wall is now over," Veldkamp said, responding to questions regarding the statements of Germany’s likely next chancellor upon arriving at a European Union foreign ministers meeting in Brussels.
"As Europeans, we need to organise, not only within the EU but with the Brits and the Norwegians and other countries that want to participate, to face the new challenges that are presented to us, also by Trump," Dutch Foreign Minister said.
European officials have been left flat-footed by Trump’s decision to negotiate with Russia regarding ending the war against Ukraine while excluding both Kyiv and Europe, as well as by his administration’s warning that the United States is no longer primarily focused on Europe's security.
"We have all turned into Gaullists," said Veldkamp, in a reference to former French President Charles de Gaulle, "which means we are committed to our transatlantic relationship, but with realistic expectations for what that means".
More sanctions
EU ministers have agreed on another package of sanctions against Moscow, timed to the third anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, ahead of a series of meetings in Brussels, Kyiv, and Washington on Ukraine in the coming days.
European leaders will meet for an extraordinary summit on March 6 to discuss additional support for Ukraine, European security guarantees, and ways to finance Europe's defense needs.
"I would never have thought that I would have to say something like this in a TV show but, after Donald Trump's remarks last week... it is clear that this government does not care much about the fate of Europe," Merz said after his conservative party’s election victory.
Meanwhile, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky stated that Europe will have to demonstrate strength while working to maintain ties with the US.
"We all can feel the change in the US rhetoric, especially like the last two-three weeks," Lipavsky said as he arrived at the Brussels meeting. "But it doesn't mean that we stop this engagement otherwise. Exactly the opposite," the Czech Foreign Minister added.
Demonstration of support for Ukraine
On February 24, several EU leaders and ministers visited Kyiv to demonstrate their support for Ukraine, while the President of France and the UK Prime Minister are set to meet with Trump in the US later this week.
"Our first priority remains to empower Ukraine's resistance," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in Kyiv. "We must speed up the immediate delivery of weapons and ammunition," she added. "And this will be at the heart of our work in the coming weeks."
According to Ursula von der Leyen, Ukraine will benefit from the EU's plans to expand European arms production and defense capabilities.
The 16th package of EU sanctions against Russia, agreed by foreign ministers on February 24, includes a ban on the import of primary aluminium and the sale of game consoles, as well as the listing of the owners and operators of 74 vessels of the so-called shadow fleet used to evade sanctions. In addition, sanctions were imposed on oligarch Yevhen Yevtushenkov and other owners of military factories.
