European Commission President criticizes Trump's attacks as "outdated" and calls for independence
Kyiv • UNN
Ursula von der Leyen criticized Donald Trump's attacks on Europe, calling for the continent's independence. She emphasized changes in the global economy and the need for its own path.
The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, expressed her clearest criticism of US President Donald Trump's attacks on Europe, calling on the continent to chart its own course in a changed world, writes UNN with reference to Bloomberg.
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"We cannot afford to let the worldview of others define us," von der Leyen, who heads the EU's executive branch, told the European Parliament. "None of us should be shocked by what others say about Europe."
Von der Leyen's remarks came a week after the US president criticized EU leaders as "weak" and published a new US National Security Strategy that claimed the EU faced "civilizational erasure" and economic decline.
I think they are weak: Trump sharply criticized Europe and its leaders09.12.25, 14:10 • 4173 views
"Let me say this: this is not the first time that assumptions about Europe have proven outdated," von der Leyen said. "This is not the first realization that the post-war world order is changing beyond recognition."
The President of the European Commission argued that the US document missed key facts.
She cited a passage noting that Europe's share of global GDP has fallen from 25% in 1990 to 14% today. However, the same applies to the US, she said, pointing out that the country's share of global GDP fell from 22% to 14% over the same period. Meanwhile, China showed rapid growth.
"This is not a story of economies on one side or the other of the Atlantic," von der Leyen said. "This is a story of shifts in the global economy."
She added: "The point I want to make is this: this strategy is not the cause of the upheavals Europe is facing in the world. It is a symptom of the reality of the modern world."
EU leaders will try to respond to this new reality on Thursday when they gather for a summit in Brussels, the publication writes.
As the US cuts aid to Ukraine, the EU is trying to develop its own funding plan "to keep Kyiv afloat." The bloc is also trying to finalize a major trade deal with the South American bloc Mercosur, partly to show that it can diversify away from the US and offer a credible alternative to China in the region.
"This is Europe's moment of independence," von der Leyen said.