'Elephant in the room' Trump looms over European attempt at unity

'Elephant in the room' Trump looms over European attempt at unity11 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleJames WaterhouseEurope correspondent in YerevanPAKeir Starmer (left) and Emmanuel Macron (right) at the European Political Community summit on MondayDonald Trump once again loomed large over the European Union's latest attempts to demonstrate unity, despite leaders not specifically mentioning the US president by name. Increasing US indifference to European security is "the elephant in the room", French President Macron told the European Political Community (EPC) summit on Monday.Europe has an "over-reliance on the US security umbrella", Macron also said at the gathering of European leaders in Armenia.Meanwhile UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer admitted that Europe's alliances "are not where we want them to be" - comments apparently aimed at the US. He again urged the bloc to move at pace in bolstering its defences.EPC gatherings are supposed to be less formal than their more rigid multilateral counterparts.The aim of this latest one, at a sports complex in Yerevan, was to discuss energy security, the protection of democracy and continued support for Ukraine.It was also an acknowledgement of the westward-looking political ambitions of the host country, which is hosting its first-ever direct meeting with the EU on Tuesday. Nearby Russia has already expressed its discontentment.Trump's own irritation at European defence spending levels isn't new. But fuelling a sense of urgency at the event was the US president's announced removal of 5,000 troops and long-range missiles from bases in Germany.The missiles were placed there by his predecessor Joe Biden to deter future Russian aggression.Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz wasn't present in Yerevan, but his suggestion that Trump's war on Iran lacked strategy is making Europe's already steep political challenges with the White House...