(VOVWORLD) - Details of the US’s recent attack on Houthi forces in Yemen were accidentally shared with a journalist on messaging app Signal, posing serious risks to the US-European Union relations.
 (Illustrative photo: Reuters) |
The Atlantic’s journalist Jeffrey Goldberg, who was included in the group chat with US national-security leaders, quoted verbatim messages where top officials of the Trump administration discussed bluntly whether to delay the attacks on Yemen as Europe would benefit most from the bombings.
US Vice President J.D.Vance wrote “I think we are making a mistake,” adding that while only 3% of US trade goes through the Suez canal, 40% of European trade does. “I am not sure the president is aware how inconsistent this is with his message on Europe right now...I just hate bailing Europe out again.” Vance said.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reportedly supported going forward with the strikes but said he “fully shares” Vance’s sentiment regarding Europe.
A compromise was ultimately reached. The US would proceed with the attacks but also demand Europe to cover the costs. “Per the president’s request we are working with DoD and State to determine how to compile the costs associated and levy them on the Europeans,” National Security Advisor Michael Waltz wrote.
 White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt at a press briefing on March, 26, 2025 (Photo: Reuters) |
The National Security Council said the text chain “appears to be authentic,” but downplayed the importance of the text messages, adding it was looking into how a journalist’s number was added to the chain in the Signal group chat.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said a press briefing on Wednesday, "As for the usage of Signal, as the President said yesterday, as the CIA director has testified under oath, this is an approved app. It is an encrypted app. The Department of Defense, the Department of State, the CIA has it loaded onto government phone because it is the most secure and efficient way to communicate. As for the original situation in this messaging thread, the National Security Council, the White House council office continue to look in to how this mistake, which the National Security Advisor had owned, occurred."
The leaked conversation is considered to be in-line with the US’s stance towards Europe, especially in regard to Europe’s contributions to NATO and the Russia-Ukraine conflict and may lead to new trans-Atlantic tensions.
These messages are “another wake up call for a real European Defense.” wrote former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt on social media platform X. “When will EU leaders act?,” he added.