Washington, United States. US President Donald Trump has criticised European leaders and raised threats involving US troops, trade and Nato allies amid disagreements over the war with Iran. European diplomats said the latest exchanges were unsettling and signalled renewed strains in US-Europe relations.
Trump targets German and British leaders
Trump this week lashed out at German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over his criticism of the Iran war, calling him “totally ineffective,” and threatened to cut the 36,400 US troops based in Germany.
He also took aim at British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in personal terms, saying he is “not Winston Churchill,” and threatened to impose a “big tariff” on imports from the UK.
Defence Department remarks raise Nato concerns
Trump’s Defence Department has floated punishing Nato allies it believes are not supporting US operations in the war with Iran, including suspending Spain as a member and reviewing US recognition of the Falkland Islands as a UK possession.
“It’s unnerving to say the least,” said one European diplomat. “We are braced for anything, anytime.”
European diplomats cite approach to handling Trump
The latest US broadsides have, according to the report, turned US-Europe relations back to the early days of the second Trump administration and raised questions about how to handle an unpredictable ally.
A second European diplomat said former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had a rocky relationship with Trump during his first term, had modelled the right approach.
“We’ve all learned a bit how to handle Trump by now. You must not react immediately, you must let the storm pass, while standing firmly on your positions,” the diplomat said.
The diplomat added that efforts at flattery had not prevented criticism. “All those who tried that got their volley of insults, like the others. So everybody realizes now that flattery doesn’t work either,” the diplomat said.
The White House had no immediate comment.
How do you think European leaders should respond to US pressure linked to the war with Iran?