UNITED NATIONS, NEW YORK — The foreign ministers of European countries with close ties to the United States have responded to Vice President Kamala Harris' claims that world leaders are “laughing” at former President Trump, dismissing them.
During a presidential debate in September, Harris said: “World leaders are mocking Donald Trump. I've spoken to military leaders, some of whom have worked with you. But they say you are a disgrace.”
When asked about this comment, foreign ministers attending the United Nations High-Level Week emphasized that they had no opinion on the US election and would cooperate with whoever wins.
“We are friends of the United States,” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said, noting that Italy and the United States are “two sides of the same coin.” “If Trump becomes the new president of the United States, we will work with him as we worked with him when he was president of the United States.”
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“We worked well with Biden, Bush, Reagan, Clinton and Obama,” Tajani added. “For us, transatlantic relations are an important strategy of European and American foreign policy.”
The foreign ministers of Lithuania and the Czech Republic stressed that they had no intention of interfering in the election by expressing their preferences, saying instead they would “leave it to the decision of the American people.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg (center) watches as President Trump and Polish President Andrzej Duda meet during a working lunch at the NATO Summit in Watford, England, on December 4, 2019. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)
Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavski said: “My role is not to comment on such political statements.”
But Lipavsky praised Trump's “strong” message on defense spending and said he hoped Europe would continue to embrace the policy in the face of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
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“Importantly, Donald Trump had one strong message for Europe at the time. That message resonated very much, and it resonates even more now, because he was committed to national defense. Because they said they would spend more money,” Lipavsky said.
“My government is spending more on defense,” he added. “We want to get to 2% of GDP, and we're going to get there this year, and we're going to continue next year. So[if]Donald Trump is a president who delivers the message, 'Spend 2%.' Then we'll be like this.''Okay. “
President Trump reacts next to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg as he attends a working lunch at the NATO Summit in Watford, England, on December 4, 2019. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis highlighted the “very long history” between the two countries and said the relationship was “more than politics.”
Instead, he reiterated his message that no matter who wins the election, he needs to focus on the same message of defense spending that President Trump pushed during his first administration.
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Before the Trump administration, only a small number of NATO members supported the pledge to spend 2% of GDP on defense, but that number has skyrocketed due to President Trump's assertiveness and tough stance on the issue.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in June that 23 of 32 member states had reached minimum spending requirements, which could increase NATO's ability to support Ukraine and deter Russian aggression beyond its current ambitions. It was reported that there is a sex.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and former President Trump visited Mar-a-Lago, Florida in July. (@PM_ViktorOrban)
But no European country is touting the success of President Trump's first term and expressing hope for a strong second term like Hungary. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said the Hungarian government has “high hopes” for the new Trump administration.
“We have great expectations because we believe that many of the major crises that are causing us a lot of concern can be resolved by President Trump's administration,” Szijjártó said, adding that he himself is NATO's foreign minister. He pointed out that he is the longest serving president, having served for more than 10 years. Years under his belt.
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“I didn't really see anyone laughing at Trump,” Szijjarto said. “I have seen many people fear. I have seen many people fear that the president of the United States is honest, not a hostage to the liberal mainstream, represents a patriotic position, and represents the I’ve seen people be afraid to speak up about First.”
President Trump and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán have made little secret of their rosy friendship, with Trump giving the former president good reviews, calling the Hungarian leader “a strongman in Europe.”
President Orbán left the NATO summit in Washington, D.C., earlier this year, choosing instead to meet with President Trump in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, to discuss diplomatic relations, making clear that this was a mutual dynamic. Proved.
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“Under President Trump, everything was under control,” Szijjarto said. “Since President Trump left office, the global security situation has worsened. So these are experiences.”
“Based on our experience, we can say yes. From the perspective of the U.S.-Hungarian relationship, I think President Trump will bring new impetus, freshness and dynamism to this relationship. And if President Trump is elected, there is a good chance that the world will be a more peaceful place than it is today.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
