Washington - US scepticism about the EU's efforts to create its own defence capability was yesterday reflected by Mr Dick Cheney, the running mate of Governor George W. Bush, writes Paddy Smyth.
In an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, Mr Cheney warned against undermining NATO: "What we care about, and care about a lot, is NATO, and ensuring that nothing is created within the European Union which could undermine it. That is vital."
Mr Cheney's stress on the importance of the Atlantic alliance will be seen in Europe as an attempt to reassure allies following comments by Mr Bush's senior adviser, Ms Condoleeza Rice, last month suggesting that the US would concentrate its foreign policy on major military challenges such as the Gulf or north-east Asia, playing down the US role in NATO.
But he made clear he shares administration doubts about the European political will to match words with cash in developing its rapid reaction force.
Mr Cheney added that the US had obligations in other parts of the world which Europe did not. "When we're in the White House, if we win, one of the Governor's foreign policy priorities will naturally be the Middle East peace process," he said.