Khaberni - U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Sarah Rogers stated that her country does not interfere in European politics, denying accusations that the U.S. administration funds the far-right movement in Europe.
Rogers denied in an interview with Politico on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference the existence of a "secret funding fund for the far right," affirming that "the United States does not decide who gets elected in Europe."
These statements come despite reports of efforts by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump to support organizations in Europe perceived as allied with the "Make America Great Again" movement.
Rogers specifically denied the accuracy of a Politico report that claimed she and other officials in the Trump administration had talks with groups in France and Britain, and asked the "Heritage Foundation" in Washington to prepare a list of potential organizations for funding.
Temporary tension and reconciliation messages
These statements were part of American messages to reassure Europeans, and came just hours after U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for a "strong and renewed Europe" at the Munich Conference platform, although the recently published U.S. National Security Strategy called for "strengthening resistance" to the political situation on the continent.
Rogers sparked controversy earlier by using her official social media accounts to post messages that included harsh statements towards immigrants to Germany, linking Swedish immigration policies to incidents of sexual violence, and she criticized regulations governing digital platforms in the European Union and United Kingdom.
The U.S. official stated that the United States is still assessing who the "good" and "bad" allies are.
She continued, "As far as who is a good ally, we definitely have opinions on that, but whatever happens whoever is elected, we will work with them."
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance delivered a strongly worded speech in Munich last year, criticizing European democracies for allegedly restricting freedom of speech under the guise of combating election interference.
Washington and the right-wing parties in Europe
Regarding the extent to which Washington's defense priorities overlap with European right-wing parties such as the Alternative for Germany and the National Rally of France, Rogers clarified that she held meetings with a spokesperson for the Alternative for Germany last year and spoke with the British and French governments.
It is noted that some of these parties have concerns about increasing military spending and maintain friendly relations with the Kremlin.
Rogers said, "I am a diplomat, it is my duty to meet with people who at least disagree with us on some issues."
She mentioned that the White House also has differences with potential right-wing European allies, and there are some common grounds regarding efforts to eliminate deepfake usage through artificial intelligence and exploitation on social media.
