Trump administration ‘woke Europe up’ from slumber, US ambassador tells Euronews
3011 Min Read
US Ambassador to the EU Andrew Puzder has said the Trump administration has helped Europe “wake up” and stop “hitting the snooze button”, in remarks to Euronews.
Speaking on the broadcaster’s Europe Today programme, Puzder praised US Secretary of State Marco Rubio for urging closer transatlantic alignment during a speech at the Munich Security Conference, describing his message as “positive” for the alliance. It was, he said, the mark of “a great diplomat” to say what people “need to hear and may not want to hear”.
Puzder noted that, unlike the reception given last year to US Vice President JD Vance, Rubio received a standing ovation from what he described as a receptive audience.
The ambassador also claimed the EU had moved closer to the US position on migration, arguing there is a distinction between “managed and mass migration” and warning of what he called the long-term societal impact of large-scale inflows over the past decade.
He further pointed to the economic impact of climate policies as a challenge for Europe.
Rubio’s trip to Munich was followed by visits to Slovakia and Hungary, where he met Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Dismissing suggestions of political interference ahead of Hungary’s upcoming elections, Puzder said the US had “every right” to engage with an EU member state and long-standing ally.
