European leader calls for confronting Trump

Manfred Weber, head of the Conservative group in the European Parliament, called on the European Union to stand up to US President Donald Trump in the trade dispute.

"The European Union will not allow itself to be controlled by Trump," Weber told the newspapers of the German Funke media group. "The European Union is ready to reach an agreement, but on an equal footing," he said, noting that the EU's share of the global economy is 22%, while the United States' share is 25%.

Regarding the massive tariff package announced by Trump in Washington last Wednesday, the German politician from the Bavarian Christian Social Union said that April 2 was a dark day and certainly a grave mistake on the part of the US president. He added, "But you learn from mistakes, including this one."

Weber stated that Europe has the opportunity to "become a beacon of fair trade relations," saying, "but Europe must live up to expectations." He specifically called for the conclusion of the Mercosur agreement with South America and the initiation of a trade agreement with India. He said, "These new trade agreements are anti-Trump agreements."

At the same time, Weber warned against increased cooperation with China, noting that China dreams of a different world order. He said, "This order will certainly not be a model for the future for us, and China cannot and should not replace the United States as the world's leading trading power."