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| EU leaders to meet with aim of forging common response to Trump | EU leaders to meet with aim of forging common response to Trump |
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| Europe’s foreign ministers will gather in Brussels later on Sunday for an emergency dinner convened to forge a common response to the election of Donald Trump as US president. The UK foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, is boycotting the meeting in a symbolic show of independence from the EU. | Europe’s foreign ministers will gather in Brussels later on Sunday for an emergency dinner convened to forge a common response to the election of Donald Trump as US president. The UK foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, is boycotting the meeting in a symbolic show of independence from the EU. |
| The meeting called by the EU council president, Donald Tusk, at the suggestion of Germany, is set to exchange notes on how far they believe Trump will follow through on his dramatic but sometimes inconsistent pledges to turn US foreign policy upside down, including over Russia, Syria, Iran and Nato. | The meeting called by the EU council president, Donald Tusk, at the suggestion of Germany, is set to exchange notes on how far they believe Trump will follow through on his dramatic but sometimes inconsistent pledges to turn US foreign policy upside down, including over Russia, Syria, Iran and Nato. |
| The UK Foreign Office briefed that the emergency meeting was unnecessary since there is a regular meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday, as well as a prearranged joint summit in Berlin next week to be attended by the incumbent US president, Barack Obama, Theresa May, François Hollande and Angela Merkel. | The UK Foreign Office briefed that the emergency meeting was unnecessary since there is a regular meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday, as well as a prearranged joint summit in Berlin next week to be attended by the incumbent US president, Barack Obama, Theresa May, François Hollande and Angela Merkel. |
| But Johnson’s decision to boycott the meeting, coupled with his earlier call for his “European friends” to end the “collective whinge-o-rama” about the US election result, is clearly designed to showthe president-elect’s team that the UK is prepared to remain his closest ally and stand apart from the rest of the EU. | But Johnson’s decision to boycott the meeting, coupled with his earlier call for his “European friends” to end the “collective whinge-o-rama” about the US election result, is clearly designed to showthe president-elect’s team that the UK is prepared to remain his closest ally and stand apart from the rest of the EU. |
| A Foreign Office spokesman said: “There is a regular foreign affairs council meeting on Monday where a range of issues can be discussed in the normal way. We do not see the need for an additional meeting on Sunday because the US election timetable is long established. | A Foreign Office spokesman said: “There is a regular foreign affairs council meeting on Monday where a range of issues can be discussed in the normal way. We do not see the need for an additional meeting on Sunday because the US election timetable is long established. |
| “An act of democracy has taken place, there is a transition period and we will work with the current and future administrations to ensure the best outcomes for Britain.” | “An act of democracy has taken place, there is a transition period and we will work with the current and future administrations to ensure the best outcomes for Britain.” |
| The EU meeting is certain both to formally congratulate Trump on his election and express a determination to work alongside any elected US president, but it will also have to decide on a host of issues about how far the EU will bend to the new climate in Washington and how far it will assert its independence. | The EU meeting is certain both to formally congratulate Trump on his election and express a determination to work alongside any elected US president, but it will also have to decide on a host of issues about how far the EU will bend to the new climate in Washington and how far it will assert its independence. |
| The European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, has struck a tough tone, saying Trump’s election poses “the risk of upsetting intercontinental relations in their foundation and in their structure”. He added it would take two years to explain to Trump how Europe worked. | The European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, has struck a tough tone, saying Trump’s election poses “the risk of upsetting intercontinental relations in their foundation and in their structure”. He added it would take two years to explain to Trump how Europe worked. |
| In the short term, EU leaders will be seeking reassurance that Trump is not going to pull out of Nato, but will also pledge that the EU needs to do more to maintain its own security. The US contributes 70% of Nato spending, and it would probably be the biggest change to postwar transatlantic relations if Trump went ahead with a vow to pull out, cut spending or disavow the principle of collective defence within Nato. | In the short term, EU leaders will be seeking reassurance that Trump is not going to pull out of Nato, but will also pledge that the EU needs to do more to maintain its own security. The US contributes 70% of Nato spending, and it would probably be the biggest change to postwar transatlantic relations if Trump went ahead with a vow to pull out, cut spending or disavow the principle of collective defence within Nato. |
| Frederica Mogherini, the EU foreign affairs chief, has repeatedly stressed that the EU must do more to build an independent EU defence arm, and this need not be in conflict with Nato. | Frederica Mogherini, the EU foreign affairs chief, has repeatedly stressed that the EU must do more to build an independent EU defence arm, and this need not be in conflict with Nato. |
| But EU foreign ministers will also discuss whether Trump is going to reimpose sanctions against Iran, effectively abandoning the nuclear deal in which the EU played a major role. It will also seek reassurance that Trump’s determination to forge new relations with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, will not lead to a fraying of sanctions over Ukraine. A European political consensus on their six-monthly renewal is likely to be harder to achieve. | But EU foreign ministers will also discuss whether Trump is going to reimpose sanctions against Iran, effectively abandoning the nuclear deal in which the EU played a major role. It will also seek reassurance that Trump’s determination to forge new relations with Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, will not lead to a fraying of sanctions over Ukraine. A European political consensus on their six-monthly renewal is likely to be harder to achieve. |
| EU leaders are also likely to discuss whether the EU and the US are set to fall out over their strategy on Turkey. Trump has suggested he approves of the increasingly authoritarian Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. | |
| In an interview published on Sunday, Erdoğan suggested he might stage a UK-style referendum to decide if his country should continue to seek membership of the EU, saying his country’s patience is not infinite. He also vowed to press ahead with reinstating the death penalty if his parliament urged him to do so, a move the EU sharply criticised in a report last week. | In an interview published on Sunday, Erdoğan suggested he might stage a UK-style referendum to decide if his country should continue to seek membership of the EU, saying his country’s patience is not infinite. He also vowed to press ahead with reinstating the death penalty if his parliament urged him to do so, a move the EU sharply criticised in a report last week. |
| Although Johnson is determined that the UK is seen as an enthusiastic American ally, the UK has been at the forefront of EU criticism of Putin and would have to undertake a complete volte-face if Trump pressed ahead with a promise to work with the Russian president, including by dropping economic sanctions over Russian annexation of Crimea and disruption in eastern Ukraine. | Although Johnson is determined that the UK is seen as an enthusiastic American ally, the UK has been at the forefront of EU criticism of Putin and would have to undertake a complete volte-face if Trump pressed ahead with a promise to work with the Russian president, including by dropping economic sanctions over Russian annexation of Crimea and disruption in eastern Ukraine. |
| Similarly Trump has said he is willing to work with Russia and the Syrian leader, Bashar al-Assad, to defeat Islamic State. | |
| The UK has been one of the leading voices defending the Syrian uprising against Assad despite the presence of Islamic extremists fighting alongside the UK-backed Free Syrian Army. The UK, including Johnson, has repeatedly accused Russia of war crimes in Syria and would find it hard to abandon the FSA. | The UK has been one of the leading voices defending the Syrian uprising against Assad despite the presence of Islamic extremists fighting alongside the UK-backed Free Syrian Army. The UK, including Johnson, has repeatedly accused Russia of war crimes in Syria and would find it hard to abandon the FSA. |
| But senior diplomats argue that the only way to influence the Trump administration is by refraining from public criticism, highlighting the points of agreement and trying to get as close as possible to the key decision makers in his entourage. The UK ambassador in Washington, Sir Kim Darroch, claims to have forged close ties with the key figures in the Trump team. | But senior diplomats argue that the only way to influence the Trump administration is by refraining from public criticism, highlighting the points of agreement and trying to get as close as possible to the key decision makers in his entourage. The UK ambassador in Washington, Sir Kim Darroch, claims to have forged close ties with the key figures in the Trump team. |
| Johnson spoke on Saturday to Sen Jeff Sessions, who is tipped by UK diplomats as the next US secretary of state, or defence secretary. | Johnson spoke on Saturday to Sen Jeff Sessions, who is tipped by UK diplomats as the next US secretary of state, or defence secretary. |
| The Foreign Office is under pressure both from the independent diplomacy of Nigel Farage, the Ukip interim leader, and from the international trade secretary, Liam Fox, who has close links with the American right. Johnson has also himself in the past claimed Trump is not fit to hold public office. | The Foreign Office is under pressure both from the independent diplomacy of Nigel Farage, the Ukip interim leader, and from the international trade secretary, Liam Fox, who has close links with the American right. Johnson has also himself in the past claimed Trump is not fit to hold public office. |