The United States Deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau, has sharply criticized former EU High Representative Federica Mogherini, after Belgian authorities charged her with alleged fraud and corruption in public contracts linked to the College of Europe —the institution she currently heads— and the European External Action Service, which she led until 2019.
Landau, considered the “number two” to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, responded on social media, recalling that Mogherini “is the same person who referred to communist Cuba as a ‘one-party democracy.’” According to the U.S. diplomat, the socialist leader “promoted European investment, tourism, and trade that bolstered the island’s repressive and decidedly anti-American regime.”
The criticism comes amid a credibility crisis for the former European foreign policy chief, now under investigation for a case that directly implicates the EU’s diplomatic structure and has reopened debate about the opacity and interests surrounding Brussels.
Landau’s reaction followed his trip to Brussels to attend the NATO ministerial meeting, where he replaced Rubio. This marked the first time in over two decades that the U.S. Secretary of State did not attend a NATO gathering, this time centered on the peace process in Ukraine and international tensions.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte attempted to downplay the absence, stating that it was “totally acceptable” given the volume of negotiations Rubio is involved in, from the war in Ukraine to conflicts in Sudan and Gaza. “Let’s not see or look for more than what’s there,” he requested.
After the meeting, Landau —who did not hold the traditional Washington press briefing— reiterated to allies a message the United States has been repeating “for decades”: Europe must assume “the primary responsibility for its own security.”
“Practically throughout my life, U.S. administrations have said this one way or another. Our administration says what it really means,” he asserted.
Mogherini’s indictment and Landau’s public accusations further strain relations between Washington and Brussels, which, besides facing a high-level corruption scandal, is once again exposed over its controversial policies toward authoritarian regimes such as Cuba.
