President Donald Trump’s administration has downgraded the diplomatic status of the EU’s mission in the US and did not inform Brussels of the bloc’s diplomats in the country.
The EU’s delegation to the US had previously enjoyed the same status as ambassadors from other nation-states but now that status has been lowered to the level of “international organisation”.
While this means that little will change in terms of the recognition of the EU’s representatives in Washington DC they will be listed as lower in terms of procedure then the representatives of the various member states of the bloc and every other sovereign nation-state.
This move by the US State Department could be seen as a snub after various EU leaders criticised the US and President Trump. French President Macron even suggested that the developing EU army is necessary to guard against the United States.
President Trump has also called the EU an adversary of the United States and has been outspoken in his support of Brexit.