Dec 9 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump followed through on his threats of ground attacks against suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers in an interview published on Tuesday, as Trump administration officials prepared to brief top U.S. lawmakers amid rising tensions.
The Republican president also told Politico that he could extend military anti-drug operations to Mexico and Colombia, in a wide-ranging interview that also covered Europe, including another call for elections in Ukraine and support for the leader of Hungary.
His comments, in an interview on Monday, reiterated much of his worldview following the release of a broad U.S. strategic roadmap last week seeking to reshape the country’s global role.
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This National Security Strategy described a nation focused on reasserting itself in the Western Hemisphere, while warning Europe that it must change course or face ‘erasure’.
“They are weak,” Trump told Politico, referring to Europe’s political leaders. “They want to be so politically correct.”
‘They don’t know what to do,’ he added. ‘Europe doesn’t know what to do.’
In the Americas, Trump has repeatedly refused to rule out the possibility of sending US troops to Venezuela as part of an effort to overthrow President Nicolás Maduro, saying he did not want to discuss military strategy: ‘I don’t want to confirm or rule out.’
Asked if he would consider using force against targets in other countries where the drug trade is highly active, including Mexico and Colombia, he said: ‘I would.’
Later on Tuesday, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio are expected to brief Congressional leaders and the heads of congressional intelligence panels, sources told Reuters.
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The meeting comes after a months-long military campaign against suspected drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific, which came under intense scrutiny following the September 2 decision to launch a second attack on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean.
‘WEAK’ EUROPE
A European Commission spokeswoman, asked about Trump’s comments, defended the bloc’s leaders and said the region remained committed to its union despite challenges such as Russia’s war in Ukraine and Trump’s tariff policies.
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‘I will refrain from commenting other than to confirm that we are very pleased and grateful that we have excellent leaders,’ EU spokeswoman Paula Pinho told reporters, adding that they are ‘leading the EU through all the challenges it is facing, from trade to war in our neighborhood, and are showing that they can be united.’
In his interview, Trump again said he thinks it’s time for Ukraine to hold elections, with the war approaching the four-year mark. Ukraine is expected to share a revised peace plan with the US later on Tuesday, a day after hurried talks with European leaders.
He also said he did not offer financial aid to the government of his ally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who met with Trump last month at the White House.
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‘No, I didn’t promise him, but he certainly asked for it,’ he said.
(Reportagraem by Baasha Dey in Genneshwir Rato Rain.
