US President Joe Biden (right) met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (left) on the White House. Each want to attain as much as possible before key elections.
Alex Wong | Getty Images | News Getty Images
BRUSSELS – With greater than a 12 months to go before American voters go to the polls, at the guts of the European Union, officials are already racing to get essentially the most done before any potential leadership change within the White House.
“There may be unprecedented close cooperation and coordination between the EU and the present US administration. It goes from the official to the very best levels,” an EU official who preferred to stay anonymous as a consequence of the sensitive nature of the situation told CNBC.
“The EU is aware of this [cooperation] will not be given and this attitude may change when someone like that appears [former President Donald] Trump back within the White House. The EU is attempting to reap the benefits of this momentum to make progress [a] variety of files, topics where there are common interests,” the official added.
The EU, a bunch of 27 countries, was openly delighted with the election of Joe Biden at the top of 2020, after 4 difficult years of the Trump presidency, during which transatlantic relations were at their lowest point. The 2 sides had different views on trade, defense and technology – to call a couple of points of contention.
But there was a drastic improvement in relations the moment Biden arrived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. His political style and priorities were way more consistent with Brussels, including coping with the coronavirus pandemic and climate change. This became much more evident after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, when European leaders welcomed the financial and military support of the world’s largest economy.
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“The US and the European Union have taken a robust and united stand against Russia’s illegal, unjustified and unprovoked war on Ukraine,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in March. next to Biden in Washington
“Putin thought he would divide us, and yet we are more united than ever. We stand together in our unwavering support for Ukraine for so long as it takes,” she added.
But it surely is possible that the present deal and dealing practices will come to an end if a latest president arrives on the White House.
“It should be a tricky relationship,” Kevin Klowden, chief global strategist on the Milken Institute, told CNBC over the phone in a Republican presidential candidate scenario.
“The Europeans fear that the US will withdraw its support [for Ukraine]he said, adding that that is each military and financial aid.
The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.
The transatlantic partnership stays crucial for the EU.
Talking to CNN earlier this month, Trump didn’t answer the query of whether he wanted Russia or Ukraine to win the war, and didn’t pledge any support for Kiev if he managed to win the presidency again. Nevertheless, he claimed that the conflict could be over in 24 hours if he took power again.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who’s as a consequence of run within the 2024 presidential campaign later this month, said he believes america mustn’t get entangled further within the war in Ukraine.
“The transatlantic partnership stays crucial for the EU,” a European diplomat, who also requested anonymity as a consequence of the sensitive nature of the situation, told CNBC.
Nevertheless, the identical source said that the connection could look a bit different in the longer term as Europe is predicted to turn out to be less depending on other parts of the world – including each China and the US.
“The EU is developing its own path towards strategic autonomy, which doesn’t mean that we turn our backs on our allies. Quite the opposite, it means we must be more capable of make our own selections,” the diplomat said, adding that it will proceed no matter who holds office within the White House.
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It has been realized in Europe that whoever becomes the following American president will in fact have US interests in mind, which are often at odds with what Europe wants. Proof of this was the introduction by the Biden administration, despite close relations, of unprecedented green subsidies that threatened the European economy. The US Inflation Reduction Act, often abbreviated to the IRA, left Europe blindfolded and looking for concessions.
Meanwhile, EU-wide elections are as a consequence of happen in June 2024, and officials in Brussels openly say they’ve until the top of this 12 months to finish their political activities. Officials consider they will not have the option to pass latest laws from January if lawmakers give attention to the election campaign.