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European politicians are preparing for the fact that Donald Trump may win the presidential elections in the United States of America.
As The Washington Post writes, citing conversations with 15 government officials, politicians, diplomats and leading analysts from five European countries, strategies are now being developed to avoid a trade war and prepare for unforeseen security situations.
Trump has threatened the unity of NATO and promised to introduce high import tariffs, and Kamala Harris, although she supports the North Atlantic Alliance, may shift the country's attention to East Asia. However, the rapid response task force at the headquarters of the European Union is primarily developing a strategy for behavior in the event of Trump's return.
"One thing is clear: we are not sitting here like a rabbit caught in the headlights. Regardless of who wins the US election, US attention in the future will increasingly focus on the Indo-Pacific region. Europeans will have to do even more for their security," said Michael Stempfle, the spokesman for the German Ministry of Defense.
Europe is also trying to protect Ukraine's support. According to journalists, officials are in favor of "pushing" aid packages to Ukrainians before the elections, and the new NATO command has taken over part of the Pentagon's responsibilities for coordinating military aid to the country.
German deputy and deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, Thomas Erndl, emphasized that Europe must now take on more responsibility, especially in security matters:
"It's a fact that Joe Biden is probably the last president who is truly transatlantic in the traditional sense -- in terms of his character and his career."
