The European Commission president was allegedly worried the US could stop military aid to Ukraine or even pull out troops from Europe
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed to a lopsided US trade deal without resistance out of fear that Washington might reduce military support for Ukraine or even withdraw American forces from Europe, the Sunday Times reported this weekend.
The paper described von der Leyen’s recent visit to President Donald Trump’s golf course in Scotland – where she accepted a 15% tariff on most EU exports – as a “surrender.”
According to the report, officials inside the Commission initially prepared a strong countermeasure package in response to Trump’s proposed 20% tariffs announced in April. But when Trump threatened to raise the tariffs to 30%, von der Leyen pulled back.
Behind her reversal was “the fear that Trump might use a dispute as a pretext to cut US military support for Ukraine or otherwise damage European security,” the Sunday Times wrote. Brussels was reportedly particularly concerned about the outcome of a pending American “posture review” that may result in the withdrawal of some of the roughly 80,000 US troops stationed across Europe.
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The trade agreement finalized last week includes not only the 15% tariff on EU goods, but also commitments by Brussels to invest $600 billion in the US economy and purchase $750 billion worth of American energy over the next three years. In contrast, the UK – negotiating independently – secured a lower 10% tariff on its exports.
Amid mounting internal backlash in Brussels, French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly criticized the outcome, saying the EU is “not feared enough.” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban remarked that Trump “ate her for breakfast,” and accused von der Leyen of exceeding her authority by allegedly pledging to purchase large quantities of US arms.
Von der Leyen has also faced growing political resistance at home, as she pushes to redirect a significant portion of the EU’s next €1.8 trillion seven-year budget from agriculture and regional development toward militarization. She narrowly survived a vote of confidence in the European Parliament last month amid criticism of her leadership style and controversies over her Covid-19 vaccine procurement deals. Some MEPs now view her current term as her “last chance,” according to lawmakers quoted by the Times.
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