Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for free
A guide to what the 2024 US election means for Washington and the world
European Union officials are analyzing hundreds of executive orders and sanctions imposed by U.S. President Joe Biden amid growing concerns that Donald Trump will reverse them, potentially upending foreign relations and trade.
Brussels is concerned that Trump may seek to overturn decisions of his predecessor simply because of those made by Biden, without fully considering the impact of such a move on European allies.
Senior European Commission officials have ordered a review of Biden’s orders, which include sanctions on Russia, trade and cybersecurity, to determine which reversals could have the biggest impact on the EU or undermine itself, according to three people familiar with the matter. measure.
The rush ahead of Trump’s inauguration on January 20 underscores the EU’s insecurities about what the president-elect might do when he returns to the White House, having already issued threats against close U.S. allies.
In recent days, Trump has refused to rule out using military force or imposing tariffs on Denmark to force it to sell Greenland. He also suggested that Canada and the Panama Canal should become part of the United States.
Officials say the EU’s biggest concern is Trump’s reversal of multiple Biden executive orders that imposed sanctions on Russia over its sweeping invasion of Ukraine starting in 2022. EU officials want Trump to keep those sanctions in place as potential leverage in any potential negotiations with Moscow over a ceasefire.
A spokesman for Trump’s transition team said the president-elect has been given “a significant mandate to fulfill the promises he made on the campaign trail and disrupt the status quo in Washington.”
The committee formed an internal team of senior officials last summer to develop strategies for the potential impacts of a second Trump presidency and how to contain or counter them.
This focuses on issues such as potential trade conflicts, reduced U.S. support for Ukraine and a possible shift in Washington’s commitment to European defense and security.
Executive orders are issued only by the president and can be revoked at any time. It is typical for a new president to review existing orders soon after taking office. In 2017, Trump revoked the Cuba Thaw Agreement enacted by then-predecessor Barack Obama and withdrew from the Paris climate agreement. A year later, he terminated U.S. participation in the Iran nuclear deal brokered by the Obama administration.
“The concern is that he decided to reverse things just because Biden has already done it,” one of the people said. “We need to know what impact this will have on us.”
Additional reporting by Felicia Schwartz in Washington
