from Tamara Cohenpolitical correspondent, in Hungary
UK and European leaders will react collectively to Donald Trump's victory as they meet at present to debate safety – and it casts a really lengthy shadow.
Because the gloom of the US end result sinks in, Sir Keir Starmer will be part of a summit in Budapest hosted by the continent's largest cheerleader for the president-elect, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Orban, seen with suspicion by the remainder of the EU due to his ties to Vladimir Putin, is delighted by Mr Trump's victory.
He advised reporters on the European Parliament final month, the place Hungary holds the rotating presidency, that he would open “a couple of bottles of champagne if Mr Trump comes again”.
The European Political Group – which holds these summits each six months – was created within the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine as an opportunity for the EU27 to fulfill wider companions such because the UK, Turkey and the Caucasus nations to debate the challenges key safety points, together with battle and irregular migration.
However the US consequence is more likely to overshadow the discussions completely, as Mr Trump's method to Ukraine – and whether or not he’ll attempt to power a peace plan through which Ukrainians should hand over territory – will dominate the agenda. President Zelenskyy is current.
Mr Orban can be a supporter of a negotiated answer to the Russia-Ukraine battle, whereas the remainder of the EU largely backs Ukraine's integrity – paving the best way for potential tensions.
Sir Keir will chair the migration listening to and announce three new intelligence-sharing offers with Balkan nations to crack down on folks smuggling.
However protection concerns are more likely to be entrance and middle, with the prospect of US disengagement from Europe and strain on NATO members, who aren’t but assembly the two% protection spending goal, to to develop up.
Sir Keir has already confronted questions at dwelling about when he’ll ship on his marketing campaign promise to spend 2.5%.
In an indication of the already modified environment, the German protection minister, who met his French counterpart yesterday, stated after Trump's victory: “They are going to be capable to do much less in Europe. We have now to fill this hole to be extra dependable when it comes to prevention”.
The aftershocks of occasions throughout the Atlantic can be very seen – we will get the primary indicators of how Europe will reply.