Brussels Diplomats Mourn End of US-Hosted Informal Dinners

For years, U.S. ambassadors in Brussels hosted intimate monthly dinners that brought together European allies and senior EU officials for off-the-record talks on trade, security, and foreign policy. These "like-minded" gatherings, usually held at the ambassador's residence in Uccle with fewer than a dozen participants, were a staple of Washington's influence operation. Guests included envoys from EU countries, close partners like the UK or Japan, and occasionally European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's chief of staff, Bjoern Seibert.

The dinners allowed candid exchanges over Napa wine and steak, helping diplomats understand each other's red lines before formal negotiations. "This stuff is the blood in the veins of the diplomatic system," a former U.S. diplomat said. But since Trump's return, these informal channels have dried up. The U.S. mission now focuses less on relationship-building, two EU diplomats noted, as Trump imposes tariffs, threatens NATO troop withdrawals, and portrays Europe as an adversary.

Current U.S. Ambassador Andrew Puzder prefers larger, flashier receptions. One EU diplomat contrasted: "Gitenstein threw parties like a diplomat, Puzder throws parties like a businessman." While the U.S. Mission to the EU denies scaling back informal meetings, diplomats say occasional lunches or Five Eyes gatherings do not replicate the old network. The loss has practical consequences: a non-EU diplomat said he can no longer answer his capital's requests for intelligence on Brussels' mood.

MEP Sergey Lagodinsky noted the erosion of trust is palpable amid pressure on EU legislation and tariff uncertainty. A former U.S. diplomat concluded: "The U.S. exerted global leadership by building these relationships. That system broke down under Trump."