Gordon Sondland's style as ambassador to the European Union was a perfect extension of President Trump’s confrontational attitude toward the bloc. Sondland is scheduled to testify shortly in the House impeachment hearings.
FILE - In this July 10, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump is joined by Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, second from right, as he arrives at Melsbroek Air Base, in Brussels, Belgium. Sondland originally planned to meet Tuesday, Nov 19, with EU Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis to discuss better cooperation between the two trading juggernauts.
He may not have been missed on the Continent. Before Sondland stirred any controversy with his dealings on behalf of Trump in Ukraine, his caustic style had already created problems in Brussels, where he is the U.S. ambassador to the 28-nation EU. His involvement in Ukraine is an example of Sondland’s less-than-diplomatic approach. He visited Ukraine twice, even though it is not part of the EU and not part of his formal responsibilities. He also gave an interview with Ukrainian television boasting of his closeness to Trump and laying out his views of Ukraine, almost like instructions: “They’re Western and they’re going to stay Western.”
For all the sweet talk with EU officials, the U.S. administration and Sondland are happy to rip deep into the EU when necessary. “Then Sondland came, and at the beginning there indeed was some relief,” said an official from a major member state. In Washington and Brussels, Sondland was also criticized for not always grasping the complicated subject matter at hand.
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