US signals intention to punish rather than cooperate with Europe — newspaper

WASHINGTON, May 2. /TASS/. Recent actions by the US administration confirm that it intends not to cooperate with European countries but to criticize and punish them amid a shift in focus from the Ukrainian crisis to the war against Iran, Politico reported on Friday. According to the newspaper, US President Donald Trump "has largely turned his attention away" from the conflict in Ukraine toward the military operation against Iran. At the same time, the American leader’s frustration with NATO allies in Europe over their lack of support in the war against the Islamic Republic is pushing them to reduce their dependence on Washington, Politico noted. "The differences between the Trump administration and European allies are starting to look irreconcilable," the newspaper said. According to Politico, Trump’s criticism of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the plans to reduce the US military contingent in Germany, along with Trump’s April 29 phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin suggest that he is currently "more interested in castigating and perhaps even punishing European powers than in working together."