Katty Kay: A growing case of transatlantic heartburn - BBC News

European leaders are getting nervous about the US election and shifts in foreign policy.

1 day agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsUS election 2024Image source, ReutersBy Katty KayUS Special CorrespondentAmerica's allies are getting nervous. As more Republicans jump into the race for president, and the 2024 election kicks into high gear, some European leaders have their eyes on brewing storms in the transatlantic waters.

First, America is about to turn inwards, as countries tend to do during major elections. The push to prioritise domestic voters could well lead to some candidates in the Republican party campaigning on the promise of cutting US support for Ukraine. That's not something most Europeans are happy about.

The Republican Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, once warned that he doesn't intend to grant a "blank cheque" to Ukraine.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is running to be the Republican nominee for president, described the war between Russia and Ukraine as a "territorial dispute". His Republican rival, the former president, Donald Trump, told CNN he didn't see the war in terms of winning or losing - a concerning statement for Ukraine's allies who clearly do want to win.

European allies made little effort to disguise their problems with Mr Trump when he was the 45th president of the US. The prospect of him being re-elected as its 47th is seen, in the words of former EU foreign policy advisor Nathalie Tocci, as "catastrophic."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65724013?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

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