The Sovfed said it was impossible for the EU to pressure Trump over US duties

The European Union (EU) has tools for economic pressure on the United States, but European officials have no opportunity to use them. Thus, Brussels politicians will have to accept the conditions of U.S. leader Donald Trump to retain power. Andrei Klimov, deputy chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs, pointed this out in a conversation with Izvestia on February 11.

On the eve, Trump raised tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from 10 to 25%, and also removed various exemptions and quotas on duty waivers for the largest suppliers. Against this backdrop, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday that the EU would take tough measures in response.

"The EU's option is this: either accept Trump's position or get very serious penalties from the new American masters," Klimov commented.

According to him, Brussels will need time to get used to the new American policy, since the current EU authorities were picked up by the team of Trump's predecessors from the US Democratic Party - Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Thus, the interlocutor of the publication noted, the Democrats set an anti-Russian course of European policy and supported the Ukrainian adventure. Trump, in turn, added the senator, is more rational.

"Someone will cope with the new job and quickly rebuild. There are such people there. Someone will not be able to, and then he will be in trouble. Someone will keep quiet, pretend that he is for both whites and reds. They will sit out Trump's term, believing that in three and a half years there will be some other power there. <...> But now they are in a helpless state, they have tools to pressure the U.S., but they will not be allowed to use them, in my opinion," the politician summarized.

Yes States: Trump's policies are exacerbating divisions in the West

Facing the threat of 25% duties on steel and aluminum imports, allies are already preparing retaliatory measures

A day earlier, the CEO of the association of steel producers UK Steel Gareth Stace said that Trump's decision to impose duties on imports of aluminum and steel will be a crushing blow to the UK steel sector.

Prior to this, on February 1, Trump signed an executive order to impose trade tariffs of 25% on goods from Canada, China and Mexico. With this decision, he seeks to prevent the importation of drugs across the border and hopes to reduce the flow of migrants arriving in the United States. At the same time he promised to impose duties on goods from the EU. On February 4, after negotiations with the Canadian government, Trump postponed the introduction of tariffs on goods from the country for at least 30 days.