Tusk: The European Union Must Prepare for the Worst in Relations with the U.S.

Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, warned on Wednesday, June 26, that the European Union must prepare for the "worst case" in its relations with the United States, as Donald Trump's policies contradict the values of the Union. European Union leaders are set to discuss the Union's relations with the U.S. at a summit on Thursday and Friday. This comes as the relationship between the two long-standing allies has been strained by Trump's decisions, including the imposition of import tariffs on European steel and aluminum products. In a letter to EU member state leaders, Tusk wrote: "I believe that while we should hope for the best, we must also prepare our Union for the worst possible scenario." "Despite our tireless efforts to maintain Western unity, transatlantic relations have come under severe pressure due to President Trump's policies." Despite repeated calls from European leaders to remain in international agreements, Trump decided to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement and the nuclear deal with Iran. Since June 1, the U.S. has imposed a 25% tariff on European steel and a 10% tariff on aluminum products from the Union. In response, Europe has also imposed tariffs on a range of American products since late last week. An unnamed EU official stated that "these negative decisions have now become a pattern"; a situation where the U.S. "makes no distinction between friends and enemies" and maintaining and respecting structures based on international law is no longer a central issue. This official added: "And this doctrine is dangerous for the European Union and, in my opinion, even more so for all of Europe." In another part of the letter, Tusk warns EU leaders that if they do not quickly address the concerns of their citizens regarding immigration, authoritarian politicians and parties in European countries will gain more power. The President of the European Council has proposed new measures to strengthen the Union's borders, including establishing migrant reception centers in North Africa. He writes in part of the letter: "A larger percentage of people are coming to the conclusion that only radical, anti-Union, and anti-liberal parties and governments can stop the wave of illegal immigration." "And if people are convinced that only such parties have effective solutions to the immigration crisis, they will also believe other things they say. The issue is very serious, and the opportunity is very short." Tusk adds that the EU has collectively reduced illegal migrant entries by 96% compared to 2015, when it faced the largest wave of migration since World War II. He suggests that the EU summit should approve a plan to create centers for receiving and controlling migrants outside Europe to differentiate genuine refugees from economic migrants and to legally return migrants to their countries. Tusk further states that establishing such centers can also help stop the methods of human traffickers who leave migrants at sea to be picked up by rescue ships and brought to Europe. According to him, the UN agencies responsible for migrants and refugees can assist in establishing such centers in North Africa, including Tunisia. He also called for the EU to provide more support to the law enforcement agencies of North African countries.