European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she would not meet US President Donald Trump in Washington until the EU and US agreed on a “concrete” trade package, Politico reported.
The stance, outlined during a Brussels press conference on 10 May 2025, follows Trump’s abrupt praise for von der Leyen last week, a marked shift from his previous hostility towards EU.
Von der Leyen confirmed plans for a White House visit, agreed during talks at Pope Francis’ funeral in April, but stressed:
For me, it’s important that if I go to the White House, I want to have a package we can discuss. So it has to be concrete, and I want to have a solution that we can both agree on that.
The EU and US remain locked in a trade stalemate, with Trump maintaining 10% tariffs on all EU imports and 25% levies on cars and metals. Brussels paused retaliatory measures during Trump’s 90-day negotiation window but escalated pressure on 9 May by proposing €100 billion in counter-tariffs targeting US aircraft, chemicals, and agricultural goods.
The Commission president’s insistence on preparatory groundwork reflects wariness of Trump’s mercurial diplomacy. Despite his recent flattery—calling her “so fantastic” and pushing for a meeting—the former president has long lambasted the EU as an entity designed to “screw” America, excluding its officials from his 2025 inauguration.
