US President Donald Trump has launched a fresh attack on the European Union, claiming they would "not be negotiating" with his administration if it wasn't for his imposed tariffs.
The Republican leader recently announced a delay to his looming 50 per cent tariff on the EU, claiming President Ursula von der Leyen "requested" an extension.
Taking to his Truth Social platform, Trump announced: "I received a call today from Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, requesting an extension on the June 1 deadline on the 50 per cent tariff with respect to trade and the European Union.
"I agreed to the extension — July 9, 2025 — It was my privilege to do so. The Commission President said that talks will begin rapidly."
Donald Trump has launched a fresh dig at the EU, claiming they would 'not be negotiating' with the US if it was not for the tariffs
Reuters
Discussing the ongoing tensions with the EU, Trump admitted that although he has "great respect" for the union, the only reason they are negotiating with him is "because of the tariffs".
Trump told reporters: "They're doing it because of the tariffs. The tariffs have been tremendous.
"I can promise you, and I have great respect for the people at the European Union, they wouldn't be over here today negotiating if I didn't put a 50 per cent tariff on."
Hitting out at the EU further, Trump claimed that any deal now agreed with Europe will be "much more reasonable" than the tariffs he wished to impose on them.
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Donald Trump made the remarks during a White House press conference
Reuters
Trump stated: "The sad thing is now when I make a deal with them, it's something much more reasonable.
"They'll say, oh, he was chicken, he was chicken. That's so unbelievable."
The President then jibed: "I usually have the opposite, they say 'you're too tough!'"
Trump's tariff threats have created a looming deadline of July 9 for negotiations, with the potential for a full-scale transatlantic trade war if no agreement can be reached between the two economic powers.
Trump claimed that the remarks are 'unbelievable'
Reuters
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Trump held what she described as a "good call" on Sunday, successfully defusing the immediate June 1st deadline.
Von der Leyen reported on social media that "To reach a good deal, we would need the time until July 9". Trump responded positively, stating he "agreed to the extension – July 9, 2025 – It was my privilege to do so".
However, the temporary reprieve masks deeper uncertainties about reaching any substantive agreement. Last week's call between European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer reportedly "fell far short of expectations".
The EU sent more than $600billion worth of goods to the United States last year whilst purchasing around $370billion of American products in return.
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