dpa
Brussels
European Union foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday largely kept their tone diplomatic when asked about the United States presidential election, after US President Joe Biden announced that he will not seek a second term in November.
Foreign ministers are meeting to discuss the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, but the news of Biden’s withdrawal overshadows the meeting. When asked about the matter by reporters, most ministers stuck to paying tribute to Biden while declining to comment on the November 5 US election.
However, Belgium’s liberal Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib appeared to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris. "I wish all the best to - maybe - Kamala Harris, who will take the lead now for the Democrats. It’s a woman. It’s a strong woman, and I wish her all the best,” Lahbib said.
Relations between the European Union and the United States soured under Trump’s first presidency, and fears are rife across much of the bloc that a second Trump term could have far-reaching consequences for the war in Ukraine, global trade and European security in general.
But not all EU capitals are worried about a Trump comeback. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, for instance, is a vocal supporter of Donald Trump, and argues the former president would end the war in Ukraine.
Latvia’s centre-right Foreign Minister Baiba Braze said: "We will work with whoever is democratically elected in the US.”
Most refused to be drawn on the election when asked on Monday, including EU foreign afairs chief Josep Borrell.