Europe Tight-Lipped After Hegseth and Vance's 'Loathing' Comments on Allies

European leaders have remained conspicuously quiet following a fiery text exchange between U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance, where both leaders expressed disdain for their European allies. "I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It's PATHETIC," Hegseth bluntly responded to Vance, who criticized the U.S. leadership's approach to countering Houthi aggression in the Red Sea and reopening vital shipping lanes.

The comments come amid heightened tensions following the escalation of Houthi attacks on merchant ships, backed by Iran, after the October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel. Despite President Donald Trump's directive to intensify strikes against the Houthi group, Vance diverged from the administration's stance, raising concerns about Europe's reliance on the U.S. in a Signal group chat with top security officials. He noted that while only "3 percent of U.S. trade runs through the Suez Canal," a whopping "40 percent of European trade" depends on the route.

"I am not sure the president is aware how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now," Vance added, before bluntly stating, "I just hate bailing Europe out again." Unsurprisingly, European leaders have chosen to keep mum, with no public statements addressing the scathing remarks.

The silence may hint at a careful evaluation of how to navigate relations with a U.S. administration that seems increasingly vocal about its frustrations with Europe. Alan Mendoza, executive director of the Henry Jackson Society in London, weighed in on the issue, admitting that "there is certainly an element of European freeloading." He highlighted the stark contrast between Europe's current military capabilities and its strength from decades ago, calling it "laughable" that Europe now relies so heavily on America to take on threats like the Houthis.

While Europe might privately bristle at the remarks, Mendoza suggested that publicly challenging them could lead to an uncomfortable debate over burden-sharing. "It's probably better to say little about it than to risk this sort of bigger argument," he said.

Adding fuel to the fire, some British lawmakers have accused the Trump administration of attempting to "extort" money from allies in exchange for taking the operational lead in securing Red Sea trade routes. Meanwhile, Edward Davey, leader of the U.K.'s Liberal-Democrats, didn't mince words when he criticized the Signal chat: "JD Vance and his mates clearly aren't fit to run a group chat, let alone the world's strongest military force." Ouch.

Despite the diplomatic drama, the U.K. and France have reiterated their commitment to cooperating with the U.S. "The U.S. is our primary ally, and we cooperate more closely than any other two nations on defense, intelligence, and security," a British Embassy spokesperson told reporters. France struck a similarly conciliatory tone, stating that it does not comment on "reported remarks, no matter how surprising they may be." Both nations appear keen to maintain their ties with Washington, even as tensions simmer.