US diplomats mourn end of informal Brussels dinners under Trump

Key facts

• Monthly 'like-minded' diplomatic dinners in Brussels have largely ceased since Donald Trump's return to the White House.
• These gatherings were hosted by U.S. ambassadors for informal discussions on trade, security, and foreign policy.
• Nine current and former diplomats described the events as valuable for candid, off-the-record conversations.
• The U.S. Mission to the EU disputes claims that informal meetings have been scaled back.

Monthly diplomatic dinners, once a key tool for U.S. influence and informal diplomacy in Brussels, have largely ceased to occur since Donald Trump returned to the White House, according to multiple current and former diplomats. These gatherings, typically hosted at the U.S. ambassador’s residence, brought together a select group of envoys from EU and allied countries for candid, off-the-record discussions on critical foreign policy, security, and trade issues.

Diplomats described these 'like-minded' dinners as invaluable for understanding nuanced political realities and red lines before formal negotiations commenced. They provided a rare space for open dialogue, free from the fear of leaks that often characterizes larger diplomatic forums like Coreper. The intimacy of these smaller gatherings, usually involving fewer than a dozen participants, allowed for genuine conversation and learning, a stark contrast to the larger, more formal receptions hosted by the current U.S. Ambassador Andrew Puzder.

While the U.S. Mission to the EU denies any significant scaling back of informal meetings, stating that Ambassador Puzder regularly meets with ambassadors and hosts dinners, diplomats argue that these do not replicate the comprehensive network and consistent engagement of the past. Some attribute the shift to a broader U.S. disengagement from the EU, citing Trump's policies such as tariffs and threats regarding NATO. This perceived erosion of informal diplomacy is seen by some as symbolic of a larger decline in American influence and trust within the EU capital.