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‘Trump is a very dangerous person for the world’: EU’s former top diplomat Josep Borrell
Former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell says Donald Trump remains a “very dangerous person for the world”, despite Democrats’ decisive victory in the US midterm elections. He warns that the result may not make US foreign policy more predictable and argues that Europe has been too submissive in its dealings with Washington.
Borrell is sceptical that the election will lead to more US funding for Ukraine, saying Europeans have effectively been paying the bill. He sees the Republicans’ defeat as encouraging for Europe’s left ahead of elections in France and Spain, but says the outcome of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s snap election on 29 November remains uncertain, including whether the far right could enter government.
In short
- Borrell warns Trump remains dangerous despite the Democrats’ midterm win.
- He doubts the result will bring more US funding for Ukraine.
- Spain’s snap election could test the far right’s prospects.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Borrell’s warning can be understood as a call for Europe to take seriously the risks of abrupt shifts in US policy, particularly over Ukraine, and to build greater capacity to act independently. A US election result may not resolve those uncertainties, so European leaders should avoid relying on Washington’s support and should be candid about the consequences of its choices.
The case against
A more cautious view is that one former EU official’s assessment should not be treated as a settled judgement about Trump or the direction of US policy. The midterm result may constrain his room to manoeuvre and could make policy more predictable, while close cooperation with Washington may still serve European security better than publicly framing the relationship around danger and submission.
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