The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has not been invited to the January 20 inauguration of the next U.S. president, Donald Trump.
Responding to questions about EU-U.S. relations, European Commission spokesperson Paula Pinho referenced a social media message from von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa, expressing their willingness to engage in positive interactions with the U.S.
When asked if they had received a positive response from the U.S., Pinho stated: “Immediately after the U.S. elections, there was a phone call between President von der Leyen and President-elect Trump. Since then, there have been no such contacts.”
“Meanwhile, the President also fell ill, but we will, of course, seek early contacts with the new administration,” she added.
Pinho also confirmed that von der Leyen had not received an invitation to Trump’s inauguration, noting that if such an invitation were to arrive, it would be considered, but no plans had been made in that regard.
Von der Leyen is currently recovering from pneumonia at her home in Hanover, Germany.
During his first term as U.S. president from 2017 to 2021, Trump was known to often express disdain for European leaders and complained that they should do more to defend themselves.
In internal discussions, it was said that he frequently considered withdrawing the U.S. from NATO. Trump had previously mentioned his desire for China’s president to attend his inauguration but said nothing about European Union officials.
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