‘Pathetic’ & ‘parasites’: US officials rip into Europeans in leaked chat
A leaked U.S. war chat reveals senior U.S. officials’ contempt for Europe’s role in Middle East security, mocking European naval defence shortcomings, demanding financial compensation, and exposing deep transatlantic divisions as Washington grows weary of bearing the cost of European security.
A covert Signal group involving top Trump administration figures—Vice President JD Vance, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, and others—was exposed after The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg was mistakenly added. The chat, meant to coordinate Yemen airstrikes, devolved into a brutal critique of Europe.
US officials mocked Europe’s military incapacity and reliance on Washington. Hegseth slammed Europeans as “free-loading” and “PATHETIC”, adding, “We are the only ones on the planet who can do this.”
3 percent of US trade runs through the suez. 40 percent of European trade does.
— JD Vance, U.S. Vice President.
JD Vance lamented: “I just hate bailing Europe out again.” The tone was clear—disdain, not diplomacy. As Europe leans on US power, Washington’s patience appears to be wearing thin, with profound implications for NATO unity and transatlantic trust.
There were also calls to make Europe “remunerate” the US for restoring shipping security in the region. Deputy White House Chief of Staff, Stephen Miller, warned: “If Europe doesn't remunerate, then what? If the US successfully restores freedom of navigation at great cost there needs to be some further economic gain extracted in return.”
Whether it’s now or several weeks from now, it will have to be the United States that reopens these shipping lanes. Per the president’s request we are working with DOD and State to determine how to compile the cost associated and levy them on the Europeans.
— Michael Waltz, National Security Adviser.
The leaked exchange lays bare festering tensions—and a US administration increasingly resentful of Europe’s defence dependence.
GOING FURTHER:
Trump officials' plan to bomb Yemen's Houthis accidentally shared with journalist Jeffrey Goldberg in group chat | SKY NEWS
'Pathetic European free-loading': What was said in Trump officials' group chat | SKY NEWS
The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans | THE ATLANTIC
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▪ Cover: Mix of Dreamstime/Daboost and Flickr/The White House. (Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.)
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