50 European leaders assess how Trump will affect their fortunes and seek a common stance on Russia

BUDAPEST, Hungary -- Around 50 European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, were reassessing their trans-Atlantic relations astatine a acme Thursday successful nan dream that Donald Trump's 2nd U.S. presidency will debar nan strife of his first administration.

European officials will besides beryllium seeking a beardown communal stance connected Russia astatine nan one-day gathering.

Rutte, who was Dutch premier curate during Trump's first 2017-2021 presidency, said that “I worked pinch him very good for 4 years. He is highly clear astir what he wants. He understands that you person to woody pinch each different to travel to associated positions. And I deliberation we tin do that.”

And he insisted that nan communal challenges posed by Russia successful Ukraine affected some sides of nan Atlantic.

“Russia is delivering nan latest exertion into North Korea successful return for North Korean thief pinch nan warfare against Ukraine. And this is simply a threat not only to nan European portion of NATO, but besides to nan U.S. mainland,” Rutte said coming into nan summit.

Trump powerfully pushed nan European NATO friends to walk much connected defense during his first presidency, to up and beyond 2% of gross home merchandise and to beryllium little reliant connected U.S. subject cover. That constituent has wholly sunk in.

“When he was president, he was nan 1 successful NATO who stimulated america to move complete nan 2%. And now, besides acknowledgment to him, NATO, if you return retired nan numbers of nan U.S., is supra nan 2%.,” Rutte said.

Charles Michel, nan assembly president of nan 27-nation European Union, agreed that nan continent needed to go little reliant connected nan United States.

“We person to beryllium much masters of our destiny," he said. "Not because of Donald Trump aliases Kamala Harris, but because of our children.”

During his predetermination campaign, Trump has threatened thing from a waste and acquisition warfare pinch Europe to a withdrawal of NATO commitments and a basal displacement of support for Ukraine successful its warfare pinch Russia — each issues that could person groundbreaking consequences for nations crossed Europe.

Trump has said he would extremity nan warfare successful Ukraine, now good into its 3rd year, wrong days of being reelected. Ukraine and galore of its European backers fearfulness that this intends a bid connected position favorable to Russian President Vladimir Putin and involving nan surrender of territory.

European friends successful NATO dream to person Trump that if he helps to discuss immoderate peace, it should beryllium done from a position of strength, for some Ukraine and nan United States.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, nan summit’s big and an ardent Trump fan, said early Thursday that he already had a telephone telephone pinch nan incoming president overnight, announcing that “We person large plans for nan future!”

So did hard-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who lauded nan “deep and historical strategical business that has ever tied Rome and Washington.”

That business came nether changeless unit during Trump’s first term, from 2017-2021.

Trump’s management slapped tariffs connected EU alloy and aluminum successful 2018, based connected nan declare that overseas products, moreover if produced by American allies, were a threat to U.S. nationalist security. Europeans and different friends retaliated pinch duties connected U.S.-made motorcycles, bourbon, peanut food and jeans, among different items.

The effect of nan U.S. predetermination consequence could beryllium felt successful Europe for years to come, connected issues including nan wars successful Ukraine and nan Middle East, arsenic good arsenic migration and ambiance change.

Among nan leaders, Zelenskyy, who is expected to make another plea for much aid arsenic his state fends disconnected Moscow’s invasion. The timing is laden pinch value arsenic Trump has vowed to extremity nan warfare “within 24 hours” of being elected — thing leaders successful Kyiv construe arsenic an impending evaporation of U.S. support pursuing Trump's win.

Further compounding an already analyzable situation, Germany — Europe’s troubled economical juggernaut — sank into governmental crisis aft German Chancellor Olaf Scholz fired his finance minister. It raises nan specter of an predetermination successful a fewer months and yet different standoff betwixt nan emboldened difficult correct and nan constitution parties successful Europe.

Those 2 mixed “adds moreover much capsicum and brackish to this situation,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said.

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Lorne Cook contributed to this study from Brussels.