Europe appears to have been largely blindsided by U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that the U.S. was suspending travel from 26 European countries.
Several European ambassadors in Washington tell CNN they didn’t know this was coming, despite having been in contact with the administration over the past few days.
One ambassador in DC said there was "no indication" Trump would go to the lengths he did, while another spokesperson said German officials had no advanced warning this was coming.
"We knew something was coming on travel from Europe (more restrictive travel advice) but not this drastic," the Belgian ambassador told CNN. "What is not understandable is the exception for the UK and the lack of national measures [domestically].”
The Trump administration notified ambassadors after the announcement: Several European ambassadors expressed a need for clarity as they worked to digest what these new measures mean. The travel suspension will begin on March 13 and will not apply to screened U.S. citizens and to Britain.
