In a letter to European Union leaders attending the EU summit in Brussels on June 28-29, European Council President Donald Tusk warned they should “prepare for the worst” in EU-US relations.
“It is my belief that, while hoping for the best, we must be ready to prepare our union for worst-case scenarios,” Tusk wrote. “Despite our tireless efforts to keep the unity of the West, transatlantic relations are under immense pressure due to the policies of [US} President [Donald] Trump.”
As reported by Deutsche Welle (DW), Germany’s international broadcaster, one EU official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told DPA news agency that such “negative” decisions were starting to “look like a pattern” where the US has “no friends, no enemies” and where preserving the international rules-based structure was not a focus.
In a separate report, The Independent noted that Tusk has been an outspoken critic of the US leader, using his Twitter account to challenge Trump’s policies.
But in his letter to EU leaders, he lamented repeated failed attempts to keep transatlantic relations stable.
He told them: “Despite our tireless efforts to keep the unity of the West, transatlantic relations are under immense pressure due to the policies of President Trump.
“Unfortunately, the divisions go beyond trade. I will share with you my political assessment of where things stand. It is my belief that, while hoping for the best, we must be ready to prepare our union for worst case scenarios.”
