Former US ambassador: Europe should not be offended by Trump, but look for allies

A strong Europe and strong relations with the USA – it is still possible, but achieving this goal will not be easy – says Daniel Fried in an interview for “Gazeta Wyborcza”.

In the years 1997-2000, Daniel Fried was the US ambassador in Warsaw, later an advisor to President George W. Bush and an advisor to the Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia.

“In my long life, I have witnessed too many crises in relations between the US and Europe. Let's look at what lies ahead. We can build even stronger relations, the foundation of which will be a very strong Europe, and the European voice will be much more heard. Achieving this will not be easy, but it is possible,” he says.

He emphasizes that “there are many heirs of the Reagan doctrine among Republicans, in Congress and in the administration. Therefore, instead of complaining about Trump, Europe should look for allies among them. Europeans should not look for an excuse to be offended at the Americans.”

Daniel Fried also refers to the reaction of the current US ambassador to the Polish Speaker of the Sejm's refusal to support the request for the “Nobel Peace Prize” for Donald Trump. “What happened was unfortunate and unnecessary (…). I believe that Ambassador Rose, who is a devoted friend of Poland and supports good relations between our countries, reacted poorly to the situation, which he considered an attack on President Trump. And it exploded in his hands,” he says.

“Of course I understand the Polish reaction and outrage. But it's not the end of the world. There are ways to fix it,” he adds. (PAP)

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