Europe cautiously navigated its relationship with Trump, balancing trade promises with the need for US security guarantees for Ukraine against Russian aggression. Fear of Trump retaliating against the EU economically if they criticized him prevented stronger action. The EU also faces criticism for seemingly ignoring the international trade rules it helped create, particularly concerning its trade surplus with the US. Von der Leyen's acknowledgement of this surplus paved the way for Trump's declaration of victory and dismissal of the existing trade system.

Prepared by Lauren Mitchell and reviewed by editorial team.