These comments come at a time when European leaders are trying to put on a united front after some of them, particularly Germany, took quite a while to arm Ukraine and to hammer home how Russia must be defeated militarily.
The European leaders presented a united front in their stance in the Russia-Ukraine war as the countries worked to build a plan for a ceasefire in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, leaders of four western European countries have agreed on the need to provide a united front to ensure Russia respects Ukraine's independence.
Reports say EU countries will seek to present a united front in the coming days, likely approving a first set of targeted countermeasures on up to 28 billion U.S. dollars of American imports from dental floss to diamonds.
George Bush had just been or was about to be elected president and there was concern that they would need to present a united front against what was a nascent I think ongoing conservative shift in American politics.