The European Union must show strength and dignity in its relations with the US, declared Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to journalists upon his arrival at an informal meeting of EU state and government leaders in Brussels.
Prior to this, US President Donald Trump had announced plans to impose tariffs on EU goods, citing Brussels’ “terrible” treatment of Washington. In the face of this development, Tusk emphasized the need for a calm and united European response:
“We are dealing with an atypical situation, with a series of surprises from our closest ally. Europe must show a lot of common sense, calm and a sense of responsibility. We must cultivate our relations with the United States, but at the same time, we must feel our own strength and dignity. We must be united – without a doubt and without discussion.”
He underscored that Poland would be fully committed to reason and composure, while also making it clear that any attempt to start a trade or tariff war would be a complete misapprehension. It was one of the worst paradoxes, Tusk added, if allies were now rushing into a completely senseless conflict. He hoped that a friendly but resolute stance from the European Union would be heard by the US government.
Furthermore, he intended to convince other EU state and government leaders not to cut back on the financing for the purchase of American weapons – “not to curry favor with Washington, but out of security priorities” Tusk emphasized.
In this context, Poland’s Foreign Minister, Radosław Sikorski, had previously stated that some US allies were growing tired of the American leadership, while Washington, in turn, was growing weary of its partners. He highlighted that Europeans had finally realized that their security was not a service provided by the US.