Paris (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed the EU’s readiness to continue cooperation with the U.S. under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Ursula von der Leyen’s remarks came following her engagement with US Vice President JD Vance, who is on a visit to Europe for the Munich Security Conference.
Thank you for a good discussion on our shared challenges as allies. From security and stability to the great promise of technology and the critical challenge of non-market overcapacity,
von der Leyen noted in a post on X.
Welcome to Europe @VP Vance
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) February 11, 2025
Thank you for a good discussion on our shared challenges as allies.
From security and stability to the great promise of technology and the critical challenge of non-market overcapacity.
Looking forward to continued cooperation with @POTUS and you.… pic.twitter.com/qHNeF3Q9X4
How does the EU plan to protect its interests?
Earlier, Ursula von der Leyen made various remarks regarding cooperation with the Trump administration while underscoring the EU’s commitment to defending its interests.
The European Commission President stated that the EU would maintain a “pragmatic” attitude towards the Trump administration with the main focus on early engagement and negotiations for common ground. “While we will seek cooperation,” she emphasized, “the EU shall always stand up to protect its strategic interests against all unjustified measures.”
What did Von der Leyen say about Trump’s trade threats?
Von der Leyen responded that Trump’s tariff threats would raise business costs and hurt consumers. She vowed that any unjustified U.S. tariffs would not go unchallenged and would trigger strong counter-measures from the EU. Even in the wake of tensions over trade policies, she gave credence to deep economic ties between Europe and America as a basis to cooperate, not confront.
She also mentioned areas of convergence in U.S. and EU interests, such as critical supply chains and newer technologies like artificial intelligence. However, she had not gone into detail about what these specific plans might be.
