Von der Leyen: ‘I will go to the White House only if there is an agreement’

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen gave her own response to Donald Trump’s statements about her yesterday. The American president, responding to a journalist’s question in the Oval Office, said of von der Leyen that “she is truly fantastic, I hope we will meet.”
At a time when relations between Europe and the US have taken a new turn, with negotiations over tariffs continuing and representatives of European institutions maintaining a low profile in their statements about Donald Trump, who openly speaks about the EU and its institutions that he does not “particularly like,” yesterday, Thursday, he crossed to the other side and spoke in flattering terms about von der Leyen, expressing hope that they would meet.
Smiling broadly and saying that “generally I like compliments,” the President of the European Commission responded to a journalist’s question during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Brussels. She was also asked about the issue of tariffs and a possible meeting with N. Trump and replied that negotiations are ongoing and are at a good point. “We have always said that we prefer a negotiated solution, but we are also developing countermeasures,” which, she said, would be put on the table for discussion. She mentioned that she had a good conversation with “President Trump on the phone and at the Pope’s funeral, but for me it is important that if I go to the White House, I want to have a package that we can discuss. Therefore, it needs to be specific. And I want to have a solution that we can both agree on.” (9/5/24)