Leaked U.S. Messages Deepen Transatlantic Rift as Europe Pushes for Strategic Autonomy

Private Signal chats reveal U.S. officials' disdain for European allies, sparking diplomatic fallout and calls for reduced reliance on Washington.

Leaked Signal messages show U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth disparaging European allies as 'pathetic' and accusing them of 'freeloading.'
The messages included plans to bill European nations for U.S. airstrikes in Yemen, which were supported by British refueling aircraft.
European leaders expressed anger and mistrust, accelerating efforts to strengthen defense spending and pursue strategic autonomy from the U.S.
The breach, caused by mistakenly adding a journalist to a sensitive group chat, raised concerns about the Trump administration's handling of secure communications.
European officials criticized the U.S. for prioritizing the Pacific over the Atlantic, with some calling the administration 'incompetent' and unreliable as a partner.