Orban says Trump ate von der Leyen for breakfast

(MENAFN) Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has criticized the recent EU-US trade agreement, claiming that US President Donald Trump overwhelmingly outplayed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during negotiations, resulting in a disadvantageous deal for the EU.

The pact, concluded after months of intense discussions, imposes a 15% tariff on EU exports to the US, compared to a lower 10% tariff imposed on British imports under a separate UK-US deal. Meanwhile, American goods entering the EU face no retaliatory tariffs.

Orban described the agreement as “no real deal,” saying on a podcast that “Donald Trump ate Ursula von der Leyen for breakfast.” He warned that the EU deal is weaker than the UK’s and will face challenges in implementation. He also questioned who will fund the promised investments, noting that the European Commission lacks both a military force and the financial resources to purchase American arms and energy as outlined in the agreement, which includes $600 billion in US industry investments and $750 billion in American energy purchases over the next three years.

Several other EU officials also voiced their dissatisfaction. French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou accused the EU of yielding to US pressure, and France’s Minister for European Affairs, Benjamin Haddad, called the deal “unbalanced” and urged economic retaliation from Brussels.

Russian officials echoed the criticism. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that the agreement will accelerate Europe’s “deindustrialization” and lead to capital flight. Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev bluntly stated that “Trump wiped the floor with Europe.”

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