The EU emergency meeting to align the bloc’s stance on Donald Trump’s election was cancelled because of Britain and France.
According to The Financial Times, the bloc’s two main military powers declined to attend the gathering in Brussels.
The split highlights the difficulties European nations have in coordinating a response to Trump, who has questioned the US commitments to NATO. Moreover, the US president-elect is planning to improve relations with Russian president Vladimir Putin.
According to Boris Johnson, British foreign secretary, the meeting created atmosphere of panic. In the meantime, French foreign minister Jean-Marc Ayrault opted to attend the meeting with new UN secretary-general. Hungary’s foreign minister Peter Szijjarto also rejected the gathering.
Meanwhile, Brussels insisted that the meeting will take place anyway and the EU nations will discuss the planned questions during the scheduled meeting of foreign ministers, which Johnson and Ayrault will attend.
Earlier, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg warned the US and the EU against “going it alone” on defense issues.
