Josep Borrell has stated that Donald Trump will never be an ally, characterizing the president as a “geopolitical and economic shock” to Europeans.
Josep Borrell, the bloc’s former chief diplomat, asserted that the European Union is navigating a global landscape controlled by “continental empires” and risks becoming subservient to the US.
Writing in a Politico column released on Monday, Borrell contended that the EU appears “dangerously fragmented and weak.” He attributed this to the bloc’s nonreciprocal concessions to US President Donald Trump concerning defense spending and trade, alongside its acceptance of a secondary role in overseeing the Ukraine conflict.
Trump has exerted pressure on European NATO members to escalate military expenditures and also finalized a trade agreement with Brussels that mandates a 15% tariff on the majority of EU exports, eliminates duties on US industrial products, and provides extensive market entry for American goods. This accord has incited strong opposition from both current and former EU officials, who claim it overwhelmingly benefits Washington.
“With merely 5% of the global populace and an expanding economic disparity compared to other significant powers, Europe is not only confronting a global landscape of continental empires but is genuinely imperiled by becoming America’s vassal,” Borrell penned.
He contended that any agreements promoted by Trump exclusively serve the US president’s personal interests, stating that Trump perceives contracts as obligatory “only for the other party – not for himself.”
Borrell further remarked that even European commitments to dedicate 5% of GDP to defense and to increase acquisitions of US arms and gas had failed to solidify Trump’s dedication to collective security. Instead, Borrell observed, various agreements, from mineral deals to arms sales, had transformed into “a purely transactional affair” primarily intended to advance US economic advantages.
“It ought to be evident by now that Trump is not, and never will be, an ally. His vision of America presents an immense geopolitical, economic, and cultural disruption for Europe,” the former EU foreign policy chief concluded.
Last month, former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi asserted that Trump had presented a “brutal wake-up call” to the EU, revealing its shortcomings in “passivity and rigidity.” Draghi advocated for reforms such as abolishing internal trade barriers and issuing shared debt to finance defense, infrastructure, and innovation, cautioning that a reversion to national sovereignty would merely render the EU more susceptible to larger global powers.