The statement issued yesterday by the African Union in response to the United States’ withdrawal from key multilateral institutions deserves close attention also in Europe. The African Union has issued a clear and responsible warning: suspending funding and participation in United Nations bodies risks weakening peacebuilding, development, humanitarian action and the protection of the most vulnerable. It has done so in a balanced yet firm manner, reaffirming the central role of multilateralism at a time of profound global instability.