Dec 9 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump continued his threats of land strikes against suspected Venezuelan drug traffickers in an interview published on Tuesday as Trump administration officials prepared to brief top U.S. lawmakers amid mounting tensions.
The Republican president also told Politico that he could extend anti-drug military operations to Mexico and Colombia, speaking in a wide-ranging interview that also took aim at Europe, including another call for Ukrainian elections and support for Hungary’s leader.
His comments, in an interview conducted Monday, reiterated much of his world view after releasing a sweeping U.S. strategy roadmap last week seeking to reframe the country’s global role.
That 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’re 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 repeatedly declined to rule out sending American troops into Venezuela as part of an effort to bring down President Nicolas Maduro, saying he did not want to discuss military strategy: “I don’t want to rule in or 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, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio are expected to brief congressional leaders and the heads of Congress’ intelligence panels, sources told Reuters.
The briefing follows a months-long military campaign against alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific that has come under intense scrutiny following a September 2 decision to launch a second strike on a suspected drug boat in the Caribbean.
“WEAK” EUROPE
A spokesperson for the European Commission, asked about Trump’s comments, defended the bloc’s leaders and said the region remained committed to their union despite challenges such as Russia’s war in Ukraine and Trump’s tariff policies.
“I will refrain from commenting, other than confirming that we are very pleased and grateful to have excellent leaders,” EU Spokesperson Paula Pinho said at a daily briefing for journalists, adding that they were “leading the EU with all the challenges that it is facing, from trade to war in our neighborhood, and who are showing that they can be united.”
In his interview, Trump again said he thought it was time for Ukraine to hold elections as the war nears its four-year mark. Ukraine is expected to share a revised peace plan with the U.S. later on Tuesday, one day after hastily arranged talks with European leaders.
He also said he did not offer a financial lifeline to the government of ally Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who met with Trump last month at the White House.
“No, I didn’t promise him, but he certainly asked for it,” he said.
(Reporting by Bipasha Dey and Gnaneshwar Rajan in Bengaluru; writing by Susan Heavey in Washington; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Chizu Nomiyama )
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