WEBVTT - US Ambassador to Belgium Talks NATO, Greenland

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<v Speaker 1>Bloomberg Audio Studios, podcasts, radio news.

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<v Speaker 2>This has been quite a year for those political and

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<v Speaker 2>business leaders who've been trying to keep up with the

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<v Speaker 2>blizzard of announcements that have come from Donald Trump's White House.

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<v Speaker 2>In Europe, the transatlantic relationship has been upended by tariffs,

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<v Speaker 2>public criticism, and tensions over Greenland and Russia's war in Ukraine.

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<v Speaker 2>Joining us now to discuss all of that is the

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<v Speaker 2>US Ambassador to Belgium, Bill White is in our Brussels studio.

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<v Speaker 2>Great to see you, Arian, Thank you very much for

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<v Speaker 2>joining us here. I wonder, given that backdrop, do you

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<v Speaker 2>have a much more difficult job than your predecessors?

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<v Speaker 3>Interesting question? No, actually, I will tell you. Yesterday I

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<v Speaker 3>went to one of the largest potato processing plants called Agristo.

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<v Speaker 3>They are making a billion dollar investment in America. Was

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<v Speaker 3>talking with Google and Amazon. They are making a six

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<v Speaker 3>billion dollar investment here in Belgium. Belgium US trade is

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<v Speaker 3>off the chart. I have a list of thirty billion

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<v Speaker 3>dollars worth of deals that we're working to close from

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<v Speaker 3>Belgium to the United States. Princess Astrod You know America

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<v Speaker 3>doesn't have a princess. You guys over here have kings

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<v Speaker 3>and queens and princesses. It's not something we're accustomed to

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<v Speaker 3>in the United States. And the King's sister went to

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<v Speaker 3>America with about one hundred and fifty Belgian business people,

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<v Speaker 3>and those deals are the deals we're focused on closing.

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<v Speaker 3>What I try to do is to stay away from

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<v Speaker 3>the noise, as I call it. There are obviously some

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<v Speaker 3>things we can talk about, a US policy being at

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<v Speaker 3>the top of the list here as some of the

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<v Speaker 3>things that you mentioned, but those are not affecting the

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<v Speaker 3>deals that we are working on. We are working on

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<v Speaker 3>a fifty billion dollar LNG deal here with Belgium which

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<v Speaker 3>would provide which would provide relief for the trade deal.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, it's required by the trade deal for Europe

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<v Speaker 3>to buy seven hundred and fifty billion dollars of US energy.

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<v Speaker 3>This would be fifty billion right off the top. So

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<v Speaker 3>some of those things that you're talking about, of course

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<v Speaker 3>are very topical and pulse and blinking. But on the

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<v Speaker 3>trade front, people want to do business, and I'm so

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<v Speaker 3>glad that those other things are not causing those entities

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<v Speaker 3>to stop looking at doing deals with the United States.

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<v Speaker 2>But I think perhaps referring to them as noise might

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<v Speaker 2>feel like an understatement to some of the people who

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<v Speaker 2>are following issues like Greenland so closely. You're someone who's

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<v Speaker 2>known the president for many, many years. I wonder, as

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<v Speaker 2>a diplomat and as somebody who knows Donald Trump, what

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<v Speaker 2>should we be expecting him to do next when it

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<v Speaker 2>comes to Greenlands.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, two things. President Trump has been speaking about Greenland

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<v Speaker 3>for a long long time, and I don't think the

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<v Speaker 3>Danes were listening. I'll be honest with you, but I

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<v Speaker 3>will state that I was very happy to hear that

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<v Speaker 3>the meetings yesterday at the White House between the Danish

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<v Speaker 3>Prime Minister and our great Vice President and my favorite

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<v Speaker 3>Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. These are two wonderful human

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<v Speaker 3>beings that I've known very well. As you said, I've

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<v Speaker 3>known presis than In Trump for over thirty five years.

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<v Speaker 3>The strategic military importance of Greenland cannot be underestimated. It

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<v Speaker 3>is not good for you and me sitting here for Chinese,

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<v Speaker 3>Russian nuclear submarines and anything else that could threaten the

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<v Speaker 3>security of the United States, NATO, and Europe to be

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<v Speaker 3>traveling free and clear through that area whenever they please.

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<v Speaker 3>And so for those reasons, and some reasons we really

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<v Speaker 3>can't explain on the radio on the TV here at

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<v Speaker 3>Bloomberg that are so sensitive and must be addressed. So

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<v Speaker 3>I am hoping and I believe there will be a

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<v Speaker 3>productive framework between President Trump the Prime Minister of Denmark,

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<v Speaker 3>and this will lead to a more secure Greenland and

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<v Speaker 3>that is secure for NATO, Europe and the US.

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<v Speaker 1>Nay, So, Denmark and Greenland have denied that that threat

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<v Speaker 1>is there in the way that the United States describes

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<v Speaker 1>there is a concern in Europe about military intervention in Greenland?

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<v Speaker 1>How likely do you think that might be? And therefore

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<v Speaker 1>the real concern about the end of NATO. And I

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<v Speaker 1>was listening to your remarks earlier on Bloomberg Television that

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<v Speaker 1>you were saying that you know you're in the capital

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<v Speaker 1>of you know, the place where NATO has its headquarters,

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<v Speaker 1>that that alliance seventy eighty years old, could be over.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah. Well, first of all, with all due respect, I

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<v Speaker 3>think that whoever is making those statements, I know you're

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<v Speaker 3>not making those statements, is ridiculous. President Trump, let me finish, please. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 3>President Trump is the greatest supporter that NATO has ever known,

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<v Speaker 3>and we'll ever know, he is the only person who

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<v Speaker 3>helped to save NATO. He has raised over half a

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<v Speaker 3>trillion dollars by pushing and indeed the beginning, it was

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<v Speaker 3>very much of a pushback from these countries to say, well, no,

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<v Speaker 3>just want America to keep paying for our defense. That's

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<v Speaker 3>not a fair burden sharing. America was doing this for

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<v Speaker 3>so long, and I am so proud of President Trump

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<v Speaker 3>for securing the coalition of the willing for burden sharing.

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<v Speaker 3>They are all now agreed to pay five percent. This

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<v Speaker 3>is a massive, great economic program as well, because the

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<v Speaker 3>expenditure of those funds will create jobs here in Europe.

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<v Speaker 3>Europe's GDP compared to the United States ten years ago,

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<v Speaker 3>is almost half the GDP of Germany, the most industrialized

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<v Speaker 3>nation in all of Europe. Per capita is less than

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<v Speaker 3>the teeny tiny state of West Virginia, just a.

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<v Speaker 2>Daughter strength has elements to those figures. Okay, figures, Okay,

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<v Speaker 2>but look, I'm curious.

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<v Speaker 3>But the point is. The point is there is no

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<v Speaker 3>greater person in the world who's supporting that than Donald Trump.

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<v Speaker 3>On top of which he cares so much about Europe.

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<v Speaker 3>He does care about Europe, and that's why the policy

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<v Speaker 3>initiatives are are hoping and driving Europe to be a better,

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<v Speaker 3>less regulated, more business focused.

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<v Speaker 2>Is the continent to the ends, justify the means really.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, yes, European countries are committing more to spending

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<v Speaker 2>on defense, but there's been huge damage to the Transatlantic

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<v Speaker 2>relationship and people are viewing America and a different like

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<v Speaker 2>now it's not worth us.

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<v Speaker 3>I think people should be viewing the relationship as a

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<v Speaker 3>strong one, as one that challenges each other. I think

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<v Speaker 3>the way we were doing things for a way too

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<v Speaker 3>long was not a good situation for Europe, and you

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<v Speaker 3>can see what has happened to Europe with overregulation. I

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<v Speaker 3>heard the word I learned new words by the way

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<v Speaker 3>when I come to Belgium. The word for a protest

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<v Speaker 3>is a manifestation that's acute. The word for deregulation is simplification.

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<v Speaker 3>It makes sense to me these rules have to be

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<v Speaker 3>simplified for US and European businesses to just go back

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<v Speaker 3>to doing business instead of fighting about policy and personalities.

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<v Speaker 3>So I am very proud of what President Trump is

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<v Speaker 3>trying to achieve here in Europe, which is to make

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<v Speaker 3>Europe better than it is, make Europe stronger than it

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<v Speaker 3>is make Europe more strategic, and it's thinking about policy

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<v Speaker 3>so that it can encourage business. Europe has been spending

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<v Speaker 3>way out of control on social programs. Illegal migration issues

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<v Speaker 3>are affecting Europe. These are things that we are addressing

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<v Speaker 3>in the United States. By the election of Donald Trump

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<v Speaker 3>by over eight million votes, I think a lot of

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<v Speaker 3>people I talked to here in Belgium would like a

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<v Speaker 3>change as well. The business people here would like a

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<v Speaker 3>change as well.

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<v Speaker 1>I suppose the question is about whether or not that

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<v Speaker 1>is up to voters in Europe in terms of you know,

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<v Speaker 1>very elected leaders. Also, Belgium is a big customer in

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<v Speaker 1>terms of US defense material, notably F thirty five jets.

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<v Speaker 1>Are you concerned or do you have any views about

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<v Speaker 1>this business potentially going to European defense companies in the future.

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<v Speaker 1>Obviously the EU guidelines are focused on prioritizing European companies.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, you're talking about the aid money that was provided

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<v Speaker 3>by the EU for Ukraine loan program. There is a

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<v Speaker 3>provision in there. I don't know if if if you're

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<v Speaker 3>aware of this that a certain percentage would be a

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<v Speaker 3>lot of two US companies. So the thinking there one

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<v Speaker 3>of the things I heard was the thinking there came

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<v Speaker 3>from Ukraine and the leadership at the EU. So again

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<v Speaker 3>there's there's a lot I say noise, meaning don't always

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<v Speaker 3>believe what you hear and read. Do your research, find

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<v Speaker 3>out what's really going on. That's what I tried to do.

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<v Speaker 3>I try to focus on the one or two things

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<v Speaker 3>that we can get along, so you're.

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<v Speaker 2>Not you're not worried about that business going to European companies.

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<v Speaker 3>No. We just met with the Defense minister here the

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<v Speaker 3>other day. They are purchasing eleven new F thirty fives.

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<v Speaker 3>We have major patriot missile batteries and am rams that

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<v Speaker 3>go along with that sale. We're talking over eight billion

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<v Speaker 3>dollars of US military sales to Belgium, and of course

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<v Speaker 3>Belgium and other countries have the right to buy munitions

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<v Speaker 3>and machinery from other countries. I think we have a

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<v Speaker 3>better product for the value, and that's my job also

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<v Speaker 3>to be helping defense industries co produce and collaborate with

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<v Speaker 3>businesses here in Europe. I think we're making the tail

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<v Speaker 3>of the F thirty five. Here in Belgium, we're making

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<v Speaker 3>F thirty fives. In Italy we are partnering with Swedish

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<v Speaker 3>and German and British interests on military defense. So I

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<v Speaker 3>like to focus on where we can cooperate than where

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<v Speaker 3>we can disagree.

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<v Speaker 2>Now, you are the ambassador to Belgium, and I want

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<v Speaker 2>to talk about how closely aligned you feel the Belgium

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<v Speaker 2>is with US positions on issues like, for example, the

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<v Speaker 2>use of frozen Russian assets. Are they a good representative

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<v Speaker 2>for US issues at the EU table?

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<v Speaker 3>I thought of it like that. Yes, I think we

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<v Speaker 3>are aligned on so many more things than we may

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<v Speaker 3>be deciding to argue about. I haven't really heard anything

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<v Speaker 3>we're arguing about at the moment between Belgium and the US.

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<v Speaker 3>And I think President Trump was supportive in a special

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<v Speaker 3>way about making sure that these Russian sovereign assets here

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<v Speaker 3>in Euroclear were safe and secure so that this could

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<v Speaker 3>also be used in the negotiating table by Steve Wikoff

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<v Speaker 3>and the President and Secretary of Rubio. If that money

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<v Speaker 3>was not here and someone had taken it or borrowed it,

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<v Speaker 3>or played with it, or deployed it or invested it

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<v Speaker 3>for whatever purposes they were thinking, I think it would

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<v Speaker 3>be very dangerous for the negotiating table. Interests that are

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<v Speaker 3>going on. So the fact that Bart de Waiver, who

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<v Speaker 3>is the I think a great prime Minister of Belgium,

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<v Speaker 3>stood up to the EU pressure on this is very admirable.

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<v Speaker 3>I think it was very hard for him to do that,

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<v Speaker 3>but I'm very proud of him for doing that. Because

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<v Speaker 3>if you're a business part listen, you're on Bloomberg, people

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<v Speaker 3>understand this. If you have a clearinghouse that clears forty

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<v Speaker 3>five trillion trillion dollars a year, you cannot mess with

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<v Speaker 3>that system. And the uncertainty and instability of taking that

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<v Speaker 3>money out would have been catastrophic