European leaders gathered at a summit in Budapest urged Donald Trump to maintain support for Ukraine, avoid trade wars and refrain from disrupting the world order after his victory in the US presidential election.
Reuters writes about it.
Trumpʼs relationship with Europe has been strained and uneasy for much of his first term.
The head of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said that now the European Union must unite, because no EU member state will be able to cope with future challenges alone.
"It is in our interests that the autocrats of this world receive a very clear signal that this is not the right of force, but the rule of law," said von der Leyen about Ukraine. The head of the European Council Charles Michel said that he "trusts American society."
Many leaders said they look forward to working with Trump. The host of the summit, Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban is one of his few allies in Europe.
But others have openly voiced concerns, particularly about trade and Trumpʼs rough treatment of allies.
"President Trump is known for a certain degree of unpredictability and instability, so we need a dialogue. We seek dialogue, but we will not give up our principles," said Luxembourg Prime Minister Luc Frieden.
Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said he was concerned about the prospect of a trade war. And NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasized that it is important to consider the war in Ukraine as a problem that goes beyond the borders of Europe, and that Russiaʼs partnership with North Korea is a threat not only to the European part of NATO, but also to the United States.
Trump and Europe
The European Union was developing a two-stage trade strategy to counter Trump in the event of his re-election as the US president. The EU believes that the universal 10% tax on imports already announced by the republican will lead to a reduction in exports from the EU by approximately €150 billion every year.
During his presidency, Trump has already imposed tariffs on goods from the EU. In 2018, he imposed tariffs on €6.4 billion worth of steel and aluminum imports from the EU and other countries on national security grounds. The EU responded by imposing €2.8 billion in tariffs. At that time, Ukrainian steel products also fell under these duties.
In addition, Trump demanded that European leaders invest more money in NATO. Earlier, he said that he would "encourage" Russia to "do whatever" with NATO member countries that have not fulfilled their financial obligations to the Alliance.
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