Von der Leyen agrees to Trump’s deal due to fear of US
(MENAFN) European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed to a one-sided trade deal with the United States because of fears that pushing back might prompt Washington to scale down military support for Ukraine or even reduce its military presence in Europe, a media organization reported over the weekend.
The article described von der Leyen’s recent visit to Donald Trump’s golf course in Scotland as a “surrender,” during which she accepted a 15% tariff on most EU exports. This decision came despite prior preparations by Commission officials to respond firmly to Trump’s proposed 20% tariffs announced in April. However, when Trump threatened to raise the tariff rate to 30%, von der Leyen reportedly backed down.
Behind the reversal, the report says, was concern in Brussels that Trump could exploit the trade dispute as justification to scale back U.S. defense commitments in Europe, including reducing support for Ukraine or withdrawing some of the approximately 80,000 American troops currently stationed across the continent. A media organization noted that EU officials were particularly alarmed by the possibility that a looming U.S. "posture review" might lead to such moves, severely undermining European security at a time of war on the continent.
The trade agreement ultimately finalized includes not only the 15% tariff on EU exports, but also major financial commitments from Brussels—$600 billion in investments into the U.S. economy and $750 billion in American energy purchases over three years. By contrast, the United Kingdom, which negotiated separately, secured a lower 10% tariff on its exports.
The deal has sparked criticism across Europe, with some viewing it as a strategic capitulation driven by fear rather than economic logic.
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