Former US representative to NATO Volker warned the EU against criticizing Trump
The Europeans are making a huge mistake by criticizing Trump and his policy in Iran, Politico quotes the former US representative to NATO. Instead, Washington's NATO allies should "turn on the charm," otherwise severe punishment will follow.
Anne McElvoy, Peter Snowdon
The former US ambassador to NATO urges British and European politicians not to alienate Donald Trump by criticizing his administration's actions regarding the Iranian conflict and its consequences.
Kurt Volker, the US envoy to NATO in 2008-2009 and then the US special representative for Ukraine during the first Trump administration, warned that European politicians who publicly condemn the US president's approach are "making very serious mistakes."
"You can think that this is a huge stupidity and it will lead to serious consequences, but you don't have to say it out loud," Volker said in an interview with Anne McElvoy for the POLITICO EU Confidential podcast published on Friday. "By saying such things, you alienate Donald Trump and risk that he will link your dissatisfaction with his policies with his dissatisfaction with some of your political decisions."
Volker added that this could lead to a rupture of transatlantic relations, which are still valuable for both continents. "So I don't think this is a wise way to do business with the president," he said.
European leaders have been arguing more and more harshly with the US administration in recent weeks over the conflict over Iran, which was launched by the US and Israel on February 28. In response, Iran attacked US military bases and US allies in the region, and then blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime artery through which about a fifth of the world's oil supplies pass.
Trump spoke sharply against NATO countries that have restricted access to their military bases for use by American forces, specifically mentioning the United Kingdom and Spain, while at the same time praising countries that provide great support.
U.S. allies have repeatedly promised to help resume shipping in this narrow trading area, but only after a complete cessation of hostilities, which displeases Trump.
Great Britain resisted
In Britain, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has made it clear that he does not support this war. "This is not our war... I'm not going to change my mind. I will not back down," he told the British parliament earlier this month.
Rachel Reeves, Britain's finance minister, said last week on the eve of a trip to Washington that Trump's decision to start a conflict without a clear strategy was "nonsense," and added: "I don't think we're any safer today than we were a few weeks ago."
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy called Trump's threats against Starmer "petty and undignified."
French President Emmanuel Macron said that the conflict started by Trump violates international law.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was the most outspoken, calling the war "illegal, absurd and cruel."
Volker defended Trump's motives, saying that a preemptive strike was justified because it was supposed to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. According to him, the United States attacked Iranian nuclear facilities last year — Trump called it an "outstanding military success" and said that the operation had destroyed the country's ability to build a bomb.
Iran denies the intention to build nuclear weapons, but Volker denied this. "They want to build nuclear weapons. They've been trying to do this for decades. And even if they agree that they won't do it, they probably will anyway. And the United States will have to face the truth," he said.
He also supported Trump's 2018 decision to withdraw from the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated under former President Barack Obama. The agreement limited Iran's nuclear program and provided for international oversight by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
"I believe that this was a flawed agreement, and it should not have been concluded," Volker added.
This goes against the position of many European countries that participated in the initial negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program.
The Trump administration is increasingly annoyed by the lack of enthusiasm in Europe about the conflict, and it is compiling something like a list of "good and bad" NATO countries in order to punish those who "created problems," POLITICO reported.
Volker said that European leaders should be very careful in responding to domestic public opinion, which strongly opposes the war, and not take positions that could anger Trump.
"There are ways to be proactive... without making unnecessary attacks against President Trump, which in fact do not help," he said.
Be nice to Trump.
According to Volcker, it is better for European leaders to follow the example of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who, by supporting the campaign against Iran, tries not to anger Trump.
"To work with President Trump, to show approval, to show enthusiasm, because... He's doing them a favor," says Volker, which is the approach Europe should take.
He also called on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to "turn on the charm" to the fullest in his relations with Trump. Germany did not restrict the use of the key Ramstein airbase, and Merz did not enter into conflicts with the US president, although he noted that relations with Washington are "simply difficult" now.
Merz, according to Volcker, behaves with the president more restrained than Starmer, and Trump does not respond to him in the same way as he responded to the British prime minister. "Unlike Cyrus Starmer, whom President Trump seems to like to tease a little, tease a little, he doesn't do that with Merz personally," Volker said.
Merz invited Trump to visit his grandfather's birthplace in western Germany. If the trip takes place, "I would just make sure that President Trump leaves there feeling that he has been treated with respect, because that is what he longs for."
Volker also defended Trump's approach to Iran, which has alarmed many European leaders. The president abruptly rushed from statements about the end of hostilities to threats to "erase" the Iranian civilization and to promises to destroy the country's civilian infrastructure.
"With harsh rhetoric and extremely extreme positions, he is trying to demonstrate strength and rigidity in the spirit of ostentatious machismo and force the Iranians to listen," Volker explained.
