Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
Palestinian Ministry of Health: Two were martyred in Israeli shelling that targeted a besieged house in the town of Qabatiya in Jenin
At least 68 dead in migrant shipwreck off Yemen: IOM
Trump: We want to feed the people in Gaza, we do not want them to starve.
US President Donald Trump: We will impose sanctions on Russia if it does not end the war on Ukraine.
Israeli media: Polls show that 52% oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while only 29% support him.
Israeli media: 32% of Americans still support "Israel's" war on Hamas, while 60% oppose it.
Israeli media: Core US support for "Israel" hits its lowest, while support for Palestine reaches its highest levels.
Al Mayadeen's correspondent reports martyrs, injuries in Israeli bombardment of home in Heker al-Jame area in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza.
Al-Quds Governorate: Today, the spatial division of Al-Aqsa Mosque began in a public and dangerous manner, and we warn of a religious war in the region
The Ministry of Health in Gaza: This brings the total number of victims of famine and malnutrition to 175, including 93 children

EU delays trade retaliations ahead of NATO Summit amid Trump pressure

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The Financial Times
  • 8 May 2025 16:59
6 Min Read

EU's retaliation delay comes ahead of the NATO Summit 2025 in The Hague, where defense spending and European security autonomy will take center stage.

Listen
  • x
  • Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel, right, speaks with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot during a meeting of the North Atlantic Council at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, April 3, 2025 (A)
    Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel, right, speaks with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot during a meeting of the North Atlantic Council at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, April 3, 2025 (AP)

Several EU capitals are pressing Brussels to avoid retaliating against Donald Trump’s newly imposed tariffs, choosing instead to prioritize stability ahead of the NATO summit scheduled for June 24–25 in The Hague.

Officials told the Financial Times that European governments prefer to wait until after the summit before making decisions on issues that could escalate tensions with Washington, including trade and defense procurement.

NATO officials are calling for a streamlined agenda to reduce the risk of provocation, knowing that Trump’s demands and rhetoric could overshadow broader alliance goals if not carefully managed.

EU to target US cars, planes, bourbon unless deal reached

The European Union is preparing to impose extra tariffs on €95 billion ($108 billion) worth of U.S. exports if trade talks with President Donald Trump’s administration do not lead to a satisfactory agreement, Bloomberg reported. 

These proposed countermeasures would mainly affect industrial products, including Boeing Co. aircraft, American-made automobiles, and bourbon, which had previously been excluded from an earlier list. The plan will undergo consultations with EU member states and stakeholders until June 10 and may be revised before becoming final.

This week, the European Commission is initiating talks with the US, with the aim of finding an amicable solution to Trump’s tariff push. Officials from the Commission plan to present Washington with a range of options that could potentially be formalized, including proposals to reduce trade and regulatory barriers and to increase investment in the US.

So far, the discussions have yielded limited progress, and it is anticipated that most of the US tariffs will remain in place. The EU stated this week that Trump’s ongoing trade probes could raise the total value of EU goods facing new US duties to €549 billion.

Nonetheless, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized that the EU “remains fully committed to finding negotiated outcomes with the US.”

“We believe there are good deals to be made for the benefit of consumers and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic,” she said in a statement. “At the same time, we continue preparing for all possibilities, and the consultation launched today will help guide us in this necessary work.”

Related News

Pro-'Israel' Democrats breaking with Netanyahu amid Gaza war

Cholera devastates Darfur region amid conflict, US aid cuts

Public declarations of retaliation over tariffs shelved

Meanwhile, public declarations of retaliation over tariffs have been shelved, defense spending decisions are on hold to avoid forcing a choice between American and European suppliers, and criticism of US positions on Ukraine or speculative ideas like buying Greenland is being avoided.

As one senior EU official quoted by FT explained, “There is a great deal of nervousness ahead of The Hague, and the general thinking is to do whatever we can to get [Trump] there, tell him what he wants to hear, and get him out again without any disaster.”

Despite NATO and the EU operating as separate institutions, the fact that 23 countries hold membership in both means their actions often require coordination. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have reportedly been in close contact to ensure aligned messaging ahead of the gathering.

According to US officials, Trump’s attendance remains conditional. He expects all 31 alliance members to agree in advance on raising defense spending and commit to greater responsibility for European security. Absent such commitments, Trump could cancel his participation at the last moment, adding further pressure to already tense planning.

Trump’s demands on European defense spending

Donald Trump is pushing NATO allies to commit 5% of GDP to defense, far above current levels. He is also urging them to craft a strategy for assuming full responsibility over continental security, thereby challenging Europe’s reliance on US military protection.

These demands have placed immediate pressure on NATO to present a realistic plan that reflects its members’ evolving capabilities. A detailed NATO review is now underway, aiming to assess each member state's defense readiness and map out potential scenarios for a gradual US military drawdown. 

European officials, in private conversations, believe that a combined increase in spending, approaching 4% of GDP across member states, paired with US cooperation on structured withdrawals, could make a full transition feasible within five to ten years. 

The urgency of this task stems from the possibility of a repeat of past disruptions, such as during the 2018 NATO summit, when Trump shocked allies by threatening to pull the US out of the alliance. Leaders, including then-Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, were forced into emergency talks and pledges to maintain unity.

Past tensions, outlook for 2025 NATO Summit

The 2025 NATO summit is expected to be one of the most consequential in recent history. Memories of the chaotic 2018 summit remain vivid for European leaders, many of whom still view Trump as an unpredictable factor capable of derailing even well-orchestrated diplomatic efforts.

His past threats to withdraw the US from NATO, combined with a focus on transactional diplomacy, have left member states on edge.

As the summit nears, officials are working to craft a strategy that speaks directly to Trump’s demands while protecting NATO’s core structure. “Money, money, money,” one European diplomat involved in preparations told the FT. “[Trump] doesn’t want to talk about anything else, and [additional topics] can wait.”

This approach may come at a cost. Policy areas that once occupied a central role, such as Ukraine’s potential NATO membership, strategic cooperation with Asian allies, and climate change, are likely to be downplayed in favor of discussions centered almost exclusively on spending and burden-sharing.

Europe must prepare for the possibility that the US will scale back its role in the alliance. “Europe should prepare for the US washing its hands of Europe,” Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski said on Wednesday. “It's a doable task. There is a path towards it... But we can't pretend we are not hearing what the Americans are telling us.”

  • United States
  • Nato
  • trump tariffs
  • trade war
  • Donald Trump
  • European Union

Most Read

A rescued crew member from the ETERNITY C vessel in a video released by the Yemeni Armed Forces on July 28, 2025 (Yemeni Military Media)

Yemen Navy reveals fate of targeted Eternity C ship crew

  • Politics
  • 28 Jul 2025
An Israeli tank explodes following an ambush by al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza, Occupied Palestine, undated (Al-Qassam Military Media)

Al-Qassam strikes Israeli vehicles in Gaza, inflicts casualties

  • Politics
  • 30 Jul 2025
UAE lodges complaint against Israeli ambassador over 'misbehavior'

UAE lodges complaint against Israeli ambassador over 'misbehavior'

  • Politics
  • 1 Aug 2025
Protesters chant anti-Israeli slogans as they carry a banner that reads:" Freedom for Palestine, Alliance stop the war," during a demonstration in support of Palestinians in Gaza, outside the Israeli embassy, in Athens, Monday, June 9, 2025 (AP)

Athens mayor slams Israeli ambassador over Gaza war, graffiti claim

  • Politics
  • 3 Aug 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
A member of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, takes part in a parade as he celebrates a ceasefire agreement between Hamas and the Israeli regime in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Sunday, January 19, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Al-Qassam: We’ll allow aid to Israeli captives if Gaza siege ends

Freed Lebanese freedom fighter Georges Abdallah during an interview on Al Mayadeen, which aired on Sunday, August 3, 2025 (Al Mayadeen screengrab)
Politics

Exclusive: Resistance key to building state, Georges Abdallah says

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres gives a statement about the situation in Gaza at UN headquarters, Friday, June 27, 2025 (AP)
Politics

UN warns Gaza faces water crisis, looming famine under Israeli siege

Israeli soldiers drive their armored personnel carrier along the Gaza Strip, in southern occupied Palestine, Wednesday, July 30, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Ex-Israeli general says Gaza starvation campaign isolated 'Israel'

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS