UK must deepen Europe defence ties in face of Trump threat, says Macron ally

Benjamin Haddad says return of Trump to White House would pose existential risk to European security

The possible return of Donald Trump to the White House represents an existential threat to European security that can only be resolved if Britain becomes a clear defence partner with the rest of Europe, one of Emmanuel Macron’s close party allies has said.

Benjamin Haddad, the former head of the Atlantic Council Europe programme and one of those closest to French foreign policy thinking, has long argued that fundamental changes in US politics symbolised by Trump’s popularity require European defence to become more autonomous from the US.