Election fallout: Europe cannot ‘outsource’ security to US, leaders warn

Europe cannot allow the security of the continent to be “outsourced” to the United States, national leaders have warned as they prepare for Donald Trump’s return to the White House.
More than 40 European leaders met in Budapest where they discussed the war in Ukraine, migration and economic security, debates which took on fresh urgency following Mr Trump’s election victory in the US. The US president-elect has promised to bring in tariffs of up to 20 per cent on all imports, sparking concern the European Union could soon find itself in a trade war with the US.
Speaking on Thursday, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she wanted to work with the new Trump administration in “a good manner” to strengthen the transatlantic relationship. “I have some experience working with President Trump from the former mandate, so there is something to build on,” she said.
Privately, officials in the EU’s executive arm, which is responsible for trade, have been drawing up plans for how the commission would retaliate if Mr Trump pushed ahead with planned tariffs.
Luxembourg prime minister Luc Frieden said the EU wanted to have a “friendly partnership” with the US. “We need to see exactly what President Trump will do, whether he will apply everything he said during the election campaign,” he said.
Mr Frieden said the incoming US president had been “vague” on his planned approach to US support for Ukraine in its war with Russia. “So let’s talk to him, let’s listen to him, and then we need to adopt a strong European collective answer,” he said.
Western allies have been spooked by Mr Trump’s comments about ending the Ukraine war in a day, which some interpret as indicating he could threaten to halt military and financial aid to Kyiv, to force it to accept a deal that gives up territory to Russia. Dr von der Leyen said Russia could not be seen to prevail in Ukraine. “It is in all our interests that the autocrats of this world get a clear message that there is not the right of might,” she said.
Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban said the size of the camp who wanted “peace” in Ukraine had increased with the election of Mr Trump. Mr Orban criticised the fact that the EU had lent huge support to Ukraine in response to the Russian invasion without a clear idea of what “victory” would look like.
Earlier, several leaders said Europe needed to avoid a trade war with the US, when speaking on their way into the meeting of the European Political Community, a forum that brings together EU countries and other European states.
“Whoever would have won the elections, it was already clear that it would be more ‘America first’. Europe has been preparing for this for years,” said Alexander De Croo, caretaker Belgian prime minister.
“Our security is not something we want to outsource to someone else, for example the United States. Europe should be able to do it on its own … But our security will be better if we are together,” the liberal politician said. A trade war between the EU and US would not be good for anyone, he added.
Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen said the transatlantic alliance was Europe’s most important relationship. “I think we have to convince all Americans that we need no conflict between us, no matter the issues we are discussing,” she said. Petteri Orpo, Finland’s prime minister, echoed the sentiments that a trade war must be avoided. “We will try to influence the US and Trump’s policies so that he will understand the risks,” he said.