There is a consistency in Trump’s actions aimed at weakening Europe and China: Sergey Balmasov

Political analyst and Middle East Institute expert Sergey Balmasov commented to Alpha News on the recent remarks by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen about the need to bring the Middle East conflict to an end.

“In my view, it is not even about the money. The EU still has considerable reserves built up, so money is not the issue. When the situation with Ukraine arose, they began moving away from cheap Russian gas, as they put it, although von der Leyen herself openly said it was a difficult and painful decision. The real question is: why are they anxious, why are they worried? Because Iranian strikes affected Qatari LNG. The thing is, a fairly significant increase in Qatari LNG production had been planned for 2026, and now there are very serious problems, as they say, just keeping production at 2024–2025 levels would be an achievement, though it is already clear that even that will most likely not be possible. The EU had an entire program for replacing Russian gas: with Algerian gas, Nigerian gas, Qatari LNG, and American gas. Ursula von der Leyen’s anxiety is understandable. So what will Trump’s actions ultimately lead to? They will lead to a situation where the desire to diversify gas supplies and, as the Europeans put it, break free from Russian gas, ends up increasing dependence on very expensive American gas. That, I think, is one of the main reasons, money is secondary,” Balmasov said.

In his view, Trump’s actions in the Middle East only appear reckless at first glance. Օn closer inspection, they reflect a calculated strategy.

“Trump is trying to catch three birds with one stone. Sure, helping Israel is understandable. He has his own interests there, and Israel is their only truly strategic ally in the Middle East. But there are also strikes against China as a major recipient of energy resources from the Gulf states. And against Europe as well, because even though they get relatively little oil from there, Qatar’s share in gas supplies is significant, and not only Qatar, but also the UAE and Oman, which were supplying them with serious volumes. So, as they say, everyone who poses a serious economic and political threat to the United States has taken a hit. People are laughing at Trump now, saying he acts inconsistently, like a drunk. But there is consistency and it is the weakening, first and foremost, of America’s competitors: Europe and China,” the expert concluded.