WASHINGTON — With the United States joined by the United Kingdom and France in strikes targeting Syrian chemical weapons-related facilities last weekend, trust and coordination have been growing between US President Donald Trump’s national security team and those of once-wary European allies, according to US and European officials.
“One thing that has been quietly happening is a very close relationship amongst the different national security teams so that everyone knows everyone else, everyone understands everyone else’s intent … and the places in which we can pursue opportunities to accomplish shared goals,” a senior Trump administration official, speaking not for attribution, said on a White House call April 14 after the joint US-UK-French strikes on Syrian chemical weapons-related facilities.