U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to cut trade relations with Europe in response to the European Union’s proposal to accept Canada as the bloc’s first associate member.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported on Thursday, September 17, that Trump made the threat against Europe the previous day.
According to the report, Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, proposed the idea one day before Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s speech at the European Parliament.
In response to reporters’ questions about the proposal, Trump called it “ridiculous.”
He said: “If they do that, and if I consider it a hostile act, I will impose very heavy tariffs or stop trade with Europe in many areas.”
However, the proposal comes as both Canada and the European Union seek to distance themselves from the United States, which under Trump’s leadership has adopted an aggressive approach.
