Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

President Donald Trump's ambassador to the European Union, Andrew Puzder, urged leaders to stop complaining about the consequences of a war with Iran. Speaking on the sidelines of the Delphi Economic Forum in Greece, he said, "It's better to endure some economic losses now than to discover a ballistic missile with a nuclear warhead headed for Brussels, Rome, Paris, or Cyprus." This statement was reported by Playbook, the European edition of Politico.

The Trump ally added, "A decision had to be made. Would the United States wait until Iran had a nuclear weapon, or would it wait until it had enough missiles and drones to affect its neighbors and inflict serious, long-term damage on the global economy?"

Under the headline "Blowback," the website added that Puzder, responding to calls to reconsider the Turnberry Agreement, said the EU should ratify its landmark trade deal with the United States, even if the Supreme Court overturned the tariffs imposed by Washington. The website added on Friday morning, "Monitored... Trump supporters flock to Greece: The Delphi Economic Forum proved to be a magnet for pro-Trump figures. US Ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, was prominently featured, praising the 250th anniversary of US independence... Steve Bannon, one of Trump's most vocal supporters, appeared on a panel defending the 'America First' slogan... Carla Sands, the former US Ambassador to Denmark, defended Trump's attacks on outgoing Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell... Matthew Boyle, Breitbart's Washington bureau chief, interviewed Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Boyle praised Greece as one of America's closest allies during Trump's second term. He told Eliza, 'They have been very supportive of what the president is trying to do globally.' Other attendees included Christos Maravatsos, head of the 'Greeces for Trump' organization... and Alex Bruswitz, Trump's aide and CEO of X. Strategies"... and James Carafano of the conservative Heritage Foundation.

A crucial agreement: Brussels and Washington are expected to announce a cooperation agreement on vital minerals today, according to officials and diplomats who spoke to Camille Geis and Carlo Martoselli. Maroš Šefčovič, the EU's trade chief, who is visiting Washington, will hold a press conference at 5:45 p.m. Brussels time.

While you slept: Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told the Financial Times that he doubts the United States would honor its commitments to NATO if Russia attacked Europe, calling it the "biggest and most important question" facing the continent.

Middle East update: Israel and Lebanon extended their ceasefire for another three weeks after a meeting at the White House... but Trump said he would wait for the "best deal" to end the conflict with Iran. Reuters reports the details.

Trump supporters rally in Romania: George Simeon, a Trump admirer, is planning a political comeback in Bucharest as the centrist coalition collapses. The country, as Max Griera reported.

A helping hand: Trump's intervention helped free journalist Katsiarina Andreeva from detention in Belarus, and she now hopes her husband will be freed as well. She spoke to Politico in one of her first interviews since her release.

Good news for Ukraine and Moldova: The two countries could formally move forward with their EU membership applications within weeks, following Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's election defeat.
Sharp remarks in Tirana: Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama claims the EU made a strategic mistake by cutting ties with Russia. "Europe must have a permanent dialogue with everyone," Rama told Nick Fincorer at the Delphi Economic Forum.