TRUMP ISOLATION DEEPENS, ALLIANCES AT BREAKING POINT, NATO PLAN IF USA PULLS OUT, CHINA NOW TOPS US IN GLOBAL APPROVAL RATINGS

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If this keeps going, Europe drifts closer to China out of necessity, not choice.

Trump Isolation Deepens on World Stage as Allies Rebuff, Condemn

The war in Iran and President Donald Trump’s rhetoric have driven US alliances with Europe near the breaking point.

(Bloomberg) — The war in Iran and President Donald Trump’s rhetoric have driven US alliances with Europe near the breaking point.

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The US has offered a diplomatic version of the silent treatment to many European partners, refusing to loop them in about its plans for the conflict and progress in peace negotiations, officials on the continent say. That’s included freezing much of Europe out of consultations on his recent move to impose a blockade against the few ships Iran has allowed to navigate the Strait of Hormuz, and Washington’s decision to let a waiver on Russian oil expire.

Europe Is Accelerating a NATO Fallback Plan in Case Trump Pulls Out

The Continent is drawing up a contingency for greater European involvement as tensions rise over Iran war

A fallback plan to ensure Europe can defend itself using NATO’s existing military structures if the U.S. departs is gaining traction after getting buy-in from Germany, a long-term opponent of a go-it-alone approach.

The officials working on the plans, which some officials are referring to as “European NATO,” are seeking to get more Europeans into the alliance’s command-and-control roles and supplement U.S. military assets with their own.

The plans—advancing informally through side discussions and over dinner meetings in and around the North Atlantic Treaty Organization—aren’t intended to rival the current alliance, participants said. European officials are aiming to preserve deterrence against Russia, operational continuity and nuclear credibility even if Washington withdraws forces from Europe or refuses to come to its defense, as President Trump has threatened.

Spain strengthens ties with China as Sánchez backs Beijing’s Middle East role

The Spanish premier announced 19 bilateral agreements with China and urged Beijing to help broker Middle East peace, while avoiding comment on his wife’s trial.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez defended China’s role as a key player in international stability and the search for peace in the Middle East during a visit to Beijing on Tuesday, while announcing 19 bilateral agreements to strengthen economic ties between the two countries.

At a press conference following his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Sánchez confirmed the start of a “strategic dialogue” with Beijing and stressed that China should see Spain and Europe as “partners” for investment and cooperation.

Of the agreements announced, a dozen are linked to the economy and aim to boost trade relations between the two nations.



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