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4w ago

Leaked U.S. Messages Deepen Transatlantic Rift as Europe Pushes for Strategic Autonomy

Private Signal chats reveal U.S. officials' disdain for European allies, sparking diplomatic fallout and calls for reduced reliance on Washington.

A Yemeni walks over the debris of a destroyed building following U.S. airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, March 24, 2025. (AP Photo)
FILE - Vice President JD Vance leaves after speaking at the Congressional Cities Conference of the National League of Cities on Monday, March 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, file)
A Yemeni inspects the damage of a destroy building following U.S. airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, March 24, 2025. (AP Photo)
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, center, is flanked by FBI Director Kash Patel, left, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, as the Senate Intelligence Committee holds its worldwide threats hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Overview

  • Leaked Signal messages show U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth disparaging European allies as 'pathetic' and accusing them of 'freeloading.'
  • The messages included plans to bill European nations for U.S. airstrikes in Yemen, which were supported by British refueling aircraft.
  • European leaders expressed anger and mistrust, accelerating efforts to strengthen defense spending and pursue strategic autonomy from the U.S.
  • The breach, caused by mistakenly adding a journalist to a sensitive group chat, raised concerns about the Trump administration's handling of secure communications.
  • European officials criticized the U.S. for prioritizing the Pacific over the Atlantic, with some calling the administration 'incompetent' and unreliable as a partner.