Donald Trump’s Approach To Europe Sparks MP Warnings

Donald Trump’s recent threats to intervene in European elections are “chilling” and leave the UK particularly vulnerable, according to some MPs.

Matt Western, the Labour chair of a joint committee on national security strategy, told the Commons that the US president has made it clear the post-World War 2 consensus between the States and Europe has been “shattered”.

His bleak remarks come after the US published its new National Security Strategy, and included more warnings about Europe’s future than any concern over the ongoing threat coming from Russia.

The new US foreign policy doctrine threatens to meddle directly in European affairs by “cultivating resistance” across the “decaying” continent, and suggests Trump wants to help far-right parties get into office.

Western said: “The whole house should be under no illusion, the United States consensus that has led the western world since the Second World War appears shattered.

“It refers to Europe facing, and I quote, ‘civilisational erasure’, and it will be unrecognisable in 20 years. It vows to, and I quote again, ‘to help Europe correct its current trajectory and promote patriotic European parties’.

“The prospect of United States interference in the democratic politics of Europe, I believe, is chilling.”

Western also pointed to Trump’s POLITICO interview from Tuesday, where he targeted European leaders for being “weak”.

He also reignited his long-running feud with London mayor Sadiq Khan too, calling him “horrible, vicious and disgusting”.

Western continued: “But sometimes what is not said is as important as is what is said. In this case, the absence of condemnation for Russia is extraordinary, though not surprising.

“Given certain UK dependencies on the United States, this leaves the United Kingdom especially vulnerable.”

Foreign Labour cabinet minister and chair of the Commons business committee Liam Byrne also warned: “The language of the US national security strategy was deeply regrettable and, frankly, it was not hard to see the rhymes with some extreme rightwing tropes that date back to the 1930s.”

Foreign Office minister Seema Malhotra responded to concerns over the strategy today, telling MPs that on some areas “we take a different view” to the States, and insisted that the UK sees Europe as strong.

She added that Europe is united behind Ukraine, and its values of freedom and democracy, while trade links between the UK and the US remain strong.

Having a strong relationship with the States allows the UK to discuss issues “where we disagree,” she said.