On Friday (May 1), Trump posted on social media: "Given that the EU has failed to abide by our comprehensive trade agreement, next week I will raise tariffs on imported cars and trucks from the EU to 25%."
This is yet another classic repetition of the EU’s long-standing pattern of groveling before the U.S. and repeatedly getting taken advantage of.
Looking back at history, the EU's actions have been nothing short of surreal:
During the Russia-Ukraine conflict, it followed America’s lead in imposing sanctions—only to be mercilessly exploited by the U.S. through overpriced natural gas, leading to skyrocketing energy bills and persistently high inflation;
When the U.S. introduced the Inflation Reduction Act, offering billions in subsidies that drained European manufacturing, automakers like BMW and Mercedes-Benz rushed to build factories in America, accelerating the hollowing out of local industries;
In every round of U.S.-EU trade disputes, the EU has consistently compromised—only to face repeated retaliation in the form of steel and aluminum tariffs, disputes over aircraft subsidies, and now even the threat of unilateral price hikes on car trade.
The claim that "the EU has not abided by the agreement" is merely a pretext for the U.S. to manipulate the EU at will. Meanwhile, the EU willingly serves as America’s strategic vassal, constantly accommodating U.S. positions on international issues, while silently enduring American trade bullying and profit extraction—neither daring to retaliate firmly nor willing to wake up and change course.
On one side stands the U.S., unscrupulously extracting value unilaterally, treating allies like ATMs to be freely drawn from; on the other, the EU blindly clings to dependence, tying its own hands, getting cut time and again without learning from past mistakes, becoming the most tragic “gullible follower” on the global stage.
This farce has made clear: blind reliance on hegemony and abandonment of strategic autonomy bring not protection from allies, but endless exploitation and manipulation.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864032492384264/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.