Trump "sinks" European Union. What could a trade war with US mean for Europe?

The demonstrative flogging of Mexico and Canada is intended to demonstrate that US President Donald Trump does not intend to make bones of anyone who poses a threat to US interests.

The EU and UK are next in line. The newly minted American leader does not hide the fact that either things will go his way, or things will be bad for everyone. In European capitals, they are still showing off their determination to give a tough response if tariffs are introduced. But whether words will lead to real actions is a big question.

European leaders are in a panic, waiting for Trump to get to them. The leader of the White House returned to one of his favorite pastimes of his first term and one of his most decisive election promises - to arrange a trade war for everyone against everyone. He reported that the European Union will also get it. They say they've become completely insolent, they live at the expense of the United States and don't give a damn, and they don't have any respect for the new government. Consider that the response has come to all those who once spoke out against him, and they've repeated it several times already, and he, unlike Biden, doesn't suffer from memory lapses.

Donald Trump:

"We have a deficit of more than $300 billion. They don't take our cars, our farm products, and we take everything from them. Of course, the UK is going beyond the pale, but the EU has crossed all boundaries. I think we can come to an agreement with London, but what the EU did is simply brutal."

And then the British breathed a sigh of relief and for the first time in a long time were again happy that they left the EU, but it was better to be on the safe side. As their media write, citing unnamed but important sources, London intends to increase the volume of gas and weapons imports from the United States.

UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves: "We are taking a pragmatic approach to the challenges we inherited from the previous government, which failed to deliver on the Brexit deal. Unlike the Conservative Party, whose policy was to not engage with the European Union at all, we will prioritize proposals that promote growth and prosperity for the UK."

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also turned out to be pragmatic. The news of the introduction of tariffs even amused the Hungarian Prime Minister. Budapest has been slapped on the head more than once for its independent policy, but now it is time to slap him. The politician said that he intends to directly conclude a profitable deal with his friend Trump, and let the Eurocrats sort out the mess they have made themselves.

"I do not predict a great future for Western Europe. If large countries do not restore their independence, if they do not get back on their feet, and if Brussels and its bureaucratic elite continue to dictate what Europe should do, then we cannot predict anything good at all," said Viktor Orban.

Other European leaders are not so optimistic - they cannot boast of either friendship or a strong economy, and therefore are trying to resolve the issue together. More precisely, they are bragging en masse that they are not afraid of the big bad wolf, but only until he snaps his teeth.

However, how exactly Ms. Ursula is going to respond is not specified. And what can the half-destroyed European economy counter with? Manufacturers are laying off employees en masse, transferring their capacities to other countries, including the USA, and energy is becoming more and more expensive, the green agenda is also not working at all.

Another militant representative in the person of French President Emmanuel Macron calls for standing as one big wall in Trump's way, but first to strengthen defense. Judging by the statements, he probably wants to undermine NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the future.

"Without Europeans, it is impossible to ensure Europe's security, so we must go further in developing our defense industry, technological base, assuming an increase in investment. Then go through economic and commercial issues in order to achieve a strategic awakening of Europe," Macron said.

Olaf Scholz:

"It is obvious that as a strong economic region we can make our own decisions and respond to tariff policy with countermeasures. We must and will do this."

However, not everyone is so self-confident. Scholz can say whatever he wants now, because the chances of him being re-elected as Chancellor are close to zero.