On Tuesday 21 February, an expert on EU and US international relations told EUROPE that Europeans were still concerned about the future transatlantic relationship, despite the previous day's visit to Brussels from US Vice-President Mike Pence.
"Many European leaders say that what strikes them is that as far as NATO is concerned things are concrete and clear, but as far as the EU is concerned the statements are more vague and imprecise. Mike Pence has not totally dissipated the unease in relation to Donald Trump's statements on the EU", the expert said. In January, US President Donald Trump had hailed the UK's decision to leave the EU and had said that the EU was "an instrument at the service of Germany".
According to this expert, "Europeans take account of the general tone and want to see a positive tone, but this still remains very general". Although the US has stated its support for the EU, it is more vague on the more concrete aspects. "Neither Trump nor Pence are really expressing themselves on the EU, and their desire for the EU to be strengthened and united", the expert added. "We expect indications from Washington that are a little more complete on what they will do", the expert said, stating that the administration was currently being set up and that it needed time. In this expert's view, many Europeans are waiting for Donald Trump to say something really reassuring. The US president is due to visit Brussels for a NATO summit at the end of May, but it is still not certain whether he will meet European leaders on this occasion.
Although its general words are fairly reassuring, action is now expected from the US administration. While Trump has described the agreement with Iran as one of the worst agreements, the same expert says that the US will not challenge the agreement but will ask for it to be fully respected. The expert also says that the US administration has not yet taken a position on the issue of sanctions against Russia in connection with Ukraine. "This must be seen in a more general framework of a future relationship with Russia (...) Trump knows that when you want to negotiate, you don't make concessions beforehand", the expert added. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)