U.S. President Donald Trump has ignited new tensions by alleging that the European Union was created to “screw” the United States. Speaking at the first cabinet meeting of his second term on Wednesday, Trump told reporters in Washington, D.C., “The European Union was formed to screw the United States—that’s the purpose of it and they’ve done a good job of it. But now I’m president.”
Trump also hinted at imposing a new 25 percent tariff on European goods. “We have made a decision and we’ll be announcing it very soon. It’ll be 25 percent,” he said.
The European Commission swiftly responded. A source stated, “The European Union is the world’s largest free market, and it has been a boon for the United States.” The source also warned that the EU would respond “firmly and immediately” to any new tariffs.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk countered Trump’s remarks on social media platform X. “The EU wasn’t formed to screw anyone,” Tusk wrote. “Quite the opposite. It was formed to maintain peace, to build respect among our nations, to create free and fair trade, and to strengthen our transatlantic friendship. As simple as that.”
In recent weeks, the U.S. administration has unsettled the United States-Europe partnership by threatening higher import taxes on European goods, claiming they would equal the tariffs imposed on U.S. exports.
