US President Donald Trump is part of a three-pronged attempt to undermine the European Union, Guy Verhofstadt, one of the EU's top officials and its chief Brexit negotiator, says.
The other two threats were from radicalised Islam and from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who Verhofstadt said was also working against the progress of the EU project.
"We have a third front, for the moment, undermining the European Union, and it is Donald Trump," Verhofstadt said on Monday.
"Trump spoke very favourably of the fact that also other countries will want to break away from the European Union, and that he hoped for a disintegration of the European Union."
Verhofstadt served for nine years as prime minister of Belgium, and has served in the European Parliament since 2009.
He said that the European Union had severe problems, saying it was in a "poly-crisis", but nevertheless argued that the solution was for greater co-operation between states.
"A disintegration of the Union would be a disaster ... not only for Europe but also I think for our allies and for the world."
He also expressed his regret at Britain's decision to exit the EU.
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