‘Coalition of the willing’ meets at Nato — without the US

Good morning. US President Donald Trump last night pulled back from the brink of an all-out global trade war, pausing tariffs for 90 days of “negotiations” with partners, including the EU. His administration was quick to claim the reversal was all part of a cunning plan, and certainly not prompted by the bloodbath on US bond markets provoked by the tariffs. But he also jacked up tariffs on China again, to 125 per cent: We’re still a long way from calm.

Today, I preview a US-less Nato gathering that hopefully isn’t a taste of Europe’s future, while the EU’s new ombudsman tells Laura she will crack down on Brussels’ “revolving doors”.

Empty chair

Western defence ministers gather at Nato today to discuss a potential military deployment to deter a Russian invasion — without the US around the table. Those in attendance will hope it is not a grim harbinger of Europe’s future.

Context: Defence officials from 30 countries in the Franco-British-led “coalition of the willing” meet today at the military alliance’s Brussels headquarters to discuss proposals for a “reassurance force” in Ukraine to ensure a post-conflict peace deal.

Donald Trump’s administration has vowed it will not join the coalition, but European participants have said some form of US “backstop” is a pre-requisite for deployment. Giving Nato an organisational role is seen as one way to ensure indirect US involvement, officials involved told the FT last week.

Diplomats preparing today’s meeting played down the significance of US absence in the Nato setting, but squirmed at the symbolism at a moment where many European capitals are worried about Trump withdrawing US support for the alliance.

At the meeting, ministers will discuss what each country is willing to provide to the potential force, including logistics and intelligence capacities in addition to air, land and sea forces, with the aim to make a rough plan by the end of this month.

British defence secretary John Healey is expected to tell the meeting that he was “struck by their sense of historic responsibility to secure the peace in Ukraine and to strengthen European security for all our nations”.

The talks come as efforts by the US to force Russia and Ukraine into a peace deal are losing steam, amid rising frustration at Moscow’s apparent unwillingness to engage with proposed terms, fresh demands from the Kremlin, and no sign of attacks letting up.

But given the unpredictable nature of the Trump administration, with regards both to Ukraine and European defence, officials want a European post-conflict plan ready soon, so it can be executed whenever a peace deal is struck.

Chart du jour: Offering

The EU’s energy commissioner Dan Jørgensen wants European companies to buy more gas from the US to assuage Trump, whilst also boosting renewable energy production.

Blocking the door

The EU’s new ombudsman wants to take a closer look at EU officials getting cushy jobs fresh out of office, after a string of corruption scandals rocked the institutions, writes Laura Dubois.

Context: The European ombudsman is in charge of making sure that EU bodies follow their own rules, and can make nonbinding recommendations where things don’t look right.

Teresa Anjinho, who took office in February, yesterday announced she would launch an inquiry into “revolving doors”, where officials move seamlessly from public to private sector jobs, raising possible conflicts of interest.

In the past, the ombudsman has investigated the European Banking Authority for allowing its former director Adam Farkas to become the CEO of banking lobby AFME, concluding that the job change should have been temporarily forbidden.

Anjinho now wants to open a broader enquiry on the issue “to guarantee that there is clarity” at all EU institutions and agencies, she told journalists yesterday.

The Portuguese official, who previously sat on the supervisory board of anti-fraud agency Olaf, said that ongoing corruption scandals undermine citizens’ trust in the EU. She mentioned allegations that Qatar paid former and existing EU lawmakers in exchange for political favours, and the recent bribery accusations against Huawei lobbyists.

“Qatargate and of course the Huawei [case], these are the kind of cases that do damage the public perception and reputation of the European Union administration,” she said.

The European parliament enacted reforms after the Qatari revelations in 2022, but NGOs such as Transparency International have said they don’t go far enough, and some — such as a new independent ethics body — have been delayed.

“The delay of the setting up of the independent ethics body is also very difficult to explain to citizens,” Anjinho said. “The minimum that we can demand as citizens in general, is that decision makers comply with what they do decide.”

What to watch today

1. Defence ministers from the so-called coalition of the willing meet at Nato headquarters in Brussels.

2. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visits China.

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