BUDAPEST: US President Donald Trump has simply devoured European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the talks in Scotland, and t...
BUDAPEST: US President Donald Trump has simply devoured European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the talks in Scotland, and the European Union struck a disadvantageous tariff deal with the Americans, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban commented on the results of the US-European meeting.
"Trump had Ursula for breakfast," Orban explained in a program on the YouTube channel of Balazs Nemeth, a popular Hungarian TV presenter, adding that this was expected. "The US president is a heavyweight negotiator, while the president of the European Commission is a lightweight."
Orban noted that the US position was much stronger than the Europeans’ during the Sunday negotiations in Scotland, which is why the agreement signed there was more beneficial for the United States than for the EU. "The UK was recently able to reach a better deal with the Americans," the prime minister said.
He also expressed surprise at reports that von der Leyen had promised Trump European investments worth hundreds of billions of euros.
"Who will make these investments? On whose behalf is this consent given? Who will give the money and channel capital for this: the German chancellor, the French president, the Hungarian prime minister?" Orban asked.
He also drew attention to reports of an agreement on the purchase of American weapons by Europeans. "But who will do it? The European Commission does not have an army," Orban said.
On Sunday, Trump said after a meeting with von der Leyen that the US and the EU had agreed on 15% import duties on all European goods entering the American market. However, the EU will not levy duties on goods from the United States.
Earlier, the Trump administration promised to impose 30% import tariffs. Von der Leyen said that to reduce the US duties from 30% to 15%, she promised to ensure the purchase by the EU countries of American liquefied natural gas and nuclear fuel to replace Russian energy.
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