The diplomat questioned whether Europe would be a dynamic economy or just somewhere Americans visit for lovely wines, cheeses and beers

In the past week, President Donald Trump and senior Republican lawmakers have presented starkly different views of a top U.S. national security challenge: Russia, its war in Ukraine and the threat it poses to Europe and the United States.

Leo XIV warned that Trump's disparaging remarks about Europe and NATO could fracture the longstanding US-Europe alliance that he considers vital "today and in the future."

Europeans find themselves stranded between hostile powers, Russia and the United States, with key decisions looming over the future of Ukraine.

U.S. officials reportedly said that they remain unsatisfied with the progress allies are making when it comes to bolstering their own capabilities.