Archived link (removepaywall.com)
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Belgium’s foreign ministry has warned internally that the US under Donald Trump is no longer a reliable ally and urged officials to cultivate ties with his opponents to protect the country’s interests, according to a document seen by the FT.
As alarm mounted in Europe about Trump’s apparent hostility to traditional allies in the region, the ministry set out a strategy to “calibrate” engagement with Washington to protect Belgian interests while avoiding being seen as “hostile”, the internal document shows.
“It is now clear that the American partner is no longer the ally it has been in the past,” says the strategy document, produced by the ministry’s Americas and Caribbean unit in late 2025.
It calls for a “thorough re-evaluation of the relation between the European Union and Belgium on the one hand, and the US on the other hand,” adding that “the dynamics currently at play in the United States… are likely to compromise several vital interests of Belgium and the European Union”.
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The Belgian document says that “an engagement with the current US administration remains indispensable”, dialogue with the levels below the federal government should be “significantly reinforced”, including with both Republican and Democratic states and mayors of large cities.
It also recommends keeping up discussions with the Democratic opposition, engaging with Congress and “identifying the new generations of bipartisan elites that could play a role in tomorrow’s America”.
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The document — dated October 27 2025, roughly eight months after Prime Minister Bart De Wever’s government took power — also notes: “We should not underestimate the respect that President Trump has for royal families.”
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Since the document was drafted, Belgium’s King Philippe has flown to the US to attend the football World Cup in July, while Queen Mathilde has accompanied several Belgian ministers to New York for the UN General Assembly this week.
The document outlines a “strategy and operational implementation” on dealing with the US, outlining various risks of officials engaging with the Trump administration, and proposing to focus on joint areas of interest such as drug trafficking.
“Our federal and regional ministers will need to calibrate . . . their presence and actions . . . taking into account the opportunities and risks inherent in these visits,” the foreign ministry said.
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A spokesperson for the foreign ministry said the paper was an “internal working document” and that its contents “should be distinguished from an agreed policy strategy”.
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Still buying the F35 though