Brussels (ANSA) – Europe is responding to the offensive from the US led by Donald Trump. In a speech at the Jacques Delors Institute, the president of the European Council, Antonio Costa, deemed the US interference unacceptable and voiced concerns over Moscow’s alignment with the new American national security strategy.
“The US – he stated – cannot substitute Europe in our vision of freedom of expression. Our history shows that true freedom of expression is inseparable from freedom of information, which necessitates pluralism. Sacrificing freedom of information for the sake of US techno-oligarchs undermines freedom of expression,” he added.
“Interference from the US is unacceptable; an ally should respect a partner’s domestic affairs,” he continued. Shortly after, the Commission responded to jabs from Elon Musk—including his recent characterization of the EU as “the Fourth Reich”—with sarcasm. Spokesperson Paula Pinho emphasized, “Even outrageous statements fall under the umbrella of freedom of expression.”
This exchange is not merely rhetorical. The US and the EU maintain divergent views regarding the situation in Ukraine. Moscow, keenly observing, has been vocal about its support for Trump’s negotiation plan. “Biden’s team has entirely dominated Brussels, leading the EU astray. Now, all of a sudden, EU bureaucrats ‘don’t want interference from the US’ under Daddy Trump. It’s time to listen to Daddy and save Europe,” remarked Kirill Dmitriev, a key Kremlin negotiator on Ukraine, on X.
The EU-US clash is particularly pronounced regarding Big Tech issues. A fine imposed on X for 120 million has incited Musk’s outrage, as he capitalizes on internal divisions both among the 27 member states and within the Commission regarding digital regulations. The Commission clarified that the fine “targets the entire corporate structure and is unrelated to Elon Musk himself,” countering one of Musk’s assertions (December 8).
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