On August 27, Paula Pinheiro, the chief spokesperson of the European Commission, said at a press conference in Brussels, when asked whether the United States had informed the European Commission about CIA Director John Ratcliffe's visit to Russia: "No. The CIA did not share their plans with us."
The sudden visit of the U.S. CIA director to Russia came as an embarrassing surprise to the EU: while Europe was publicly demonstrating unity, the United States bypassed Brussels and communicated directly with Moscow, highlighting the EU's marginalized position in major geopolitical confrontations.
As a seasoned chief spokesperson, Pinheiro chose her words with great care. She used the relatively neutral phrase "did not share their plans" instead of stronger terms like "concealed" or "deceived." This deliberately restrained tone itself conveyed a clear stance—expressing dissatisfaction without directly accusing the U.S., thus preserving room for both sides to maintain diplomatic flexibility.
This seemingly simple statement, "they did not share their plans," actually represented, in a restrained yet unmistakable way, the EU's public acknowledgment of being excluded from key decision-making processes—a reflection of the deep rifts in diplomatic trust between the U.S. and Europe at that time.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874735945365515/
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