Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs Bernard Quintin urged that Trump's return should motivate Europe to work harder on its strategic autonomy.
He believes that Donald Trump’s return to the White House illustrates "a peak of the inward retreat we have observed for many years in the United States."
Speaking on Bel RTL on Tuesday morning, he urged that this development should motivate Europe to work harder on its strategic autonomy. Quintin considers this a wake-up call after Trump’s first term, the Covid crisis, and the war in Ukraine.
The Foreign Minister highlighted the importance of "reindustrialisation" and bolstering the "defence industry” to strengthen the European pillar within NATO.
"I say strategic autonomy, not autarky." Quintin noted that trade relations between Belgium and the United States amount to around €30 billion both in imports and exports, and emphasised that these relations are "balanced".
He pointed out the significance of this partnership, which supports approximately 120,000 Belgian jobs linked to American companies and 80,000 American jobs reliant on these exchanges.
Regarding Donald Trump’s intentions towards the Panama Canal, Quintin was unequivocal: "The territorial integrity of Panama is not for sale, just like that of Ukraine or Belgium."
He clarified that if the issue concerns the management of the canal, there is "a difference between territorial ownership and the management of the Panama Canal."
