Press

With Emmanuel Macron’s caustic comments likely to dominate the Nato gathering, Ian Bond at the Centre for European Reform argues that reports of the Nato’s “brain death” are still exaggerated: “Even if Nato can get through the London meeting unscathed, its leaders should not just breathe a sigh of relief and hope that Trump will be out of office by the time of the next summit (expected in 2021). In reality, Trump, Erdogan and Macron all have some valid criticisms of Nato. The solutions they pursue are likely to do more harm than good to security in Europe; but the correct course is to look for better solutions, not to ignore the problems.”

Ian Bond, director de política exterior del Centro para la Reforma Europea, fue un diplomático británico que en el pasado trabajó en Washington. Bond dice que en circunstancias normales, todos los que tratan con Estados Unidos sobre el caso de Ucrania sabrían quiénes eran sus interlocutores en la embajada, el Departamento de Estado y el Consejo de Seguridad Nacional. Nadie habría buscado al abogado personal del presidente o al embajador de Estados Unidos en la Unión Europea.

Former British ambassador Ian Bond told The National Mr Macron had caused problems within the alliance between Turkey and the US and provoked an “explosion” from Mr Erdogan. He said the French leader was also making increasingly worrying overtures to Russia. In reimagining a new foreign policy for Europe, Mr Macron has caused friction with Berlin and Washington, not least because of his calls for European “strategic autonomy” in defence and foreign policy.

Sam Lowe, a senior research fellow at the Centre for European Reform, said: “The EU’s stated position is that even if the UK wants an agreement resembling Canada’s, they will ask for more from the UK on state aid than they did for Canada and Japan because the UK is geographically closer and big.” He added that the starting point of any negotiation with the EU would be a demand for dynamic alignment with Brussels’ state aid rules, something that was likely to be incompatible with the Conservatives’ new approach. 

Sam Lowe of the Centre for European Reform, who is among the signatories, has said that clinching such a deal is possible but only by accepting an "off the shelf" deal from Europe that for many businesses will mean the same paperwork and restrictions as a "no deal" Brexit.

“The US clearly wants to discuss issues that are particularly controversial such as drug pricing,” said Sam Lowe, a trade specialist at the Centre for European Reform, a think-tank. “But the UK is not yet prepared to concede on these issues.”