The New York Times reported, in a report, the increasing talk about the possibility of former US President Donald Trump returning to the presidency of the United States.
The New York Times confirmed that his arrival raises concerns among many European officials about relations with Washington, the cohesion of NATO, and the course of the war in Ukraine.
Discussions among European leaders about the possibility of Trump’s return to the White House have intensified recently, and the possibility of the Republican Party’s candidacy for the former president to the presidency is a major topic of private discussion in Europe, pointing out that for most European governments.
The New York Times report mentioned an interview with Steven Everts, a diplomat in the European Union, who will soon run the European Union Institute for Security Studies, in which he said about the possibility of Trump returning as president, “It’s a bit terrifying, but now we are forced to face a question about Trump’s return again”.
Given the outsized role the United States plays in European security, Everts added, “we now have to think again about what Trump’s return means for our policy, for European defense, and for Ukraine itself”.
The New York Times also conducted an interview with the former German government official, Thomas Klein-Brockhoff, who is currently working with the German “Marshall Fund” in its branch in Berlin, which is the think tank and the American donor institution, in which he confirmed that the second Trump era will be different from the first, and much worse, noting that Trump is angry now, has more experience, and knows what to pull.
The New York Times pointed to the escalation of talk about Trump’s progress towards the White House, despite the January 6, Capitol building attack, which was carried out by his supporters, and his attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 elections, in addition to questioning its results, and decisions the various accusations he faced and are facing.
The New York Times newspaper recalled Trump’s threats, which he made during his presidency, to withdraw from NATO, his admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, and the suspension of US aid to Ukraine, noting that this was the subject of his first trial, in addition to his orders to withdraw thousands.
Among the members of the US forces stationed in Germany, a step that was later canceled by his predecessor, Joe Biden.
Likewise, the New York Times newspaper’s chief correspondent in Europe confirmed that the issue of American commitment is gaining more importance today, especially with the outbreak of a conflict between Europe and Russia over Ukraine, and Putin’s indirect threats regarding nuclear weapons, and the possibility of expanding the war, pointing to approaching this importance with statements.
Trump recently declared that he would end the war in one day, with Erlanger noting that Trump likely means he will do so by forcing Ukraine to make territorial concessions.
For his part, the former US ambassador to NATO, Ivo Daalder, said in an interview that NATO isn’t an obligation to its founding treaty as much as it is an obligation of trust, recalling the doubts raised by Trump about the cohesion of the alliance during his first term, and stressing that his return as president may mean the end of the coalition.
Daalder explained that he sensed in his talks with the Europeans that they are very concerned about the 2024 American elections, and how they will affect alliances with the United States, adding that this is the only question currently being asked.
The former German defense official, Jan Techau, who is currently working in the “Eurasia Group”, stressed that turning its back on the United States would lead to an “existential problem” for Europe, noting that if this happened at the time, it would be at a time when both China and Russia are eager to deepen the division between Washington and Brussels.
Techau spoke about different perceptions and aspirations of Germany and France within the European Union, which will increase and become evident in the absence of American participation, in a second term for Trump, in which he will implement his threats, as there will be a destructive scramble for influence.
Trump’s victory, will mean less US support for Ukraine, and more pressure on it to settle, in addition to pressure on the Europeans to deal with the Russian president themselves.
It’s expected that Trump’s victory may breathe new life into the right-wing anti-democratic forces in Europe, as detailed by the French analyst at the “Montaigne” research institute, Dominique Moisi, who told the New York Times that Trump’s second term would be catastrophic for Europe’s confrontation with populism and the extreme right.
