Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Thursday rejected US President Donald Trump‘s remark that the European Union “was formed in order to screw the United States”.
Trump threatened to slap 25-percent tariffs on goods imported from the EU as frictions soared between Washington and its European allies.
“Look, let’s be honest, the European Union was formed in order to screw the United States,” Trump told reporters in Washington on Wednesday.
“That’s the purpose of it, and they’ve done a good job of it,” he added.
But Tusk, a former European Council chief, has rebutted Trump’s words, saying on X: “The EU wasn’t formed to screw anyone.”
“Quite the opposite. It was formed to maintain peace, to build respect among our nations, to create free and fair trade, and to strengthen our transatlantic friendship. As simple as that,” Tusk added.
Poland currently holds the rotating EU presidency.
Tusk said earlier this month that everything must be done to avoid a “totally unnecessary and stupid” trade war.
The European Commission, the 27-nation bloc’s executive arm, warned it would respond “firmly and immediately” should Trump impose new tariffs.