Washington is expected to impose 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum from March 4, according to a CNBC article shared by Donald Trump. The US President claimed that the EU has “crossed all the lines” as it does not buy cars and agricultural products from the US. Trump described this as “grauenhaft”.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has expressed readiness for “hard negotiations” with Trump. She emphasized the need for the EU to work on various areas where its interests converge, from critical supply chains to the latest technologies, in order to eliminate any claims and lay the foundation for a stronger partnership.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also expressed her views, stating that she is not a fan of trade wars and that the EU should work with the US, but if the US puts strong pressure on the European market, the EU will have to react strongly. French President Emmanuel Macron described Trump’s policy as an “electroshock” for the EU, emphasizing the need to reduce the EU’s dependence on US weapons, including the Patriot missile defense system.
European Council President António Costa has called for the EU to take more responsibility for its defense and to deepen cooperation within the EU to reduce costs, ensure operational compatibility and create a stable and long-term demand for the industry.
Trump also intends to shift the burden of Ukraine to the EU, estimating the cost of the hypothetical peacekeeping troops at $3.1 billion over ten years and the cost of the entire EU defense budget at 3.5% of the EU’s GDP.
The NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte supported the “balance” of the EU and US shares in Ukraine aid, stating that the EU and US must work together to ensure a fair distribution of the burden.
EU leaders are calling for the US to include the EU in the negotiations with Russia, while the Russian expert Dmitri Suslow views Trump’s strategy as a way to strengthen US hegemony, with the EU expected to compensate for the US withdrawal from the region by increasing its military spending.
In contrast, Nadeschda Arbatowa, the head of the European Political Studies Department at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, believes that the EU is capable of resisting Trump and even strengthening its positions.