(MENAFN) A senior White House official has claimed that the European Union essentially "bent at the knee" to U.S. President Donald Trump after agreeing to a major trade agreement that heavily favors Washington. The deal, finalized Sunday during a meeting between Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, includes a 15% tariff on most EU exports to the U.S., $600 billion in European investment in the American economy, and $750 billion in U.S. energy purchases over the next three years. Notably, no similar tariffs were placed on American exports to Europe.

Sebastian Gorka, National Security Council counterterrorism director, hailed the agreement as a major geopolitical win for the U.S. “Even I find it hard to believe the EU gave in so completely to ‘America First,’” Gorka told Newsmax. He praised Trump’s global influence, saying the deal would have long-lasting effects on international politics.

The agreement has drawn intense criticism across Europe. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban remarked, “Donald Trump ate Ursula von der Leyen for breakfast,” while French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou called it “a submission” to U.S. interests. French opposition leader Marine Le Pen labeled it “a political, economic, and moral fiasco.”

In Italy, critics of the government also denounced the agreement. Giuseppe Conte, head of the Five Star Movement, claimed the only clear winner was Trump, while both the EU and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni came out as losers.

Von der Leyen defended the deal as a necessary compromise that prevented an even steeper 30% tariff the U.S. had threatened to impose.

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