Trump's phone call suddenly entered the venue, directly demanding the EU to take the first step against China, imposing a 100% tariff to see the effect.

Bloomberg recently reported that Trump told European officials at a meeting that he was willing to impose a maximum of 100% tariffs on China and India to force Russia to sit down with Ukraine for negotiations, provided the EU did the same.

Insiders revealed that during a recent high-level meeting between US and EU officials in Washington, Trump suddenly called into the venue and personally made this request.

【Trump said he was willing to impose significant tariffs on China and India, but only if the EU did the same】

Trump emphasized that no matter how much tariffs the EU imposed on the two countries, the US would follow suit and replicate it exactly.

When Trump said he "was willing to impose tariffs on China and India," what he actually meant was so-called "secondary tariffs" targeting China and India for purchasing Russian oil.

Currently, the US has already imposed a 25% "secondary tariff" on India for purchasing Russian oil, adding to the original 25% tariff, totaling 50%.

As for China, which purchases more Russian oil, Trump has shown no sign of action so far.

【Trump emphasized that no matter how much tariffs the EU imposed on the two countries, the US would follow suit】

In fact, how long the "secondary tariff" on India will last is itself an issue. On Tuesday, Trump posted on social media, actively "cooling down" the US-India tariff situation, stating:

"I am pleased to announce that India and the United States are continuing negotiations to resolve trade barriers between the two countries. I look forward to speaking with my very good friend, Prime Minister Modi of India..."

It has been mentioned many times before that as long as the US and India reach an agreement on trade issues, canceling the "secondary tariff" is just a word from Trump.

Back to the main topic. Trump clearly knows that the EU is not going to go out of its way to impose tariffs on China and India. His call for the EU to impose 100% tariffs on China and India is essentially shifting the responsibility of pressuring Russia onto the EU.

His implied meaning is: don't think the EU should only expect the US to act. The EU should act first, and then the US will follow. The Ukraine issue is Europe's problem, not America's.

【In Trump's view, the Ukraine issue is Europe's problem, not America's】

The same logic applies. In Trump's view, not only the "secondary tariffs", but in any issue related to pressuring Russia or aiding Ukraine, the EU should play the role of "forerunner" in the future, taking the lead and assuming more responsibility; while the US should take on more of the role of a "behind-the-scenes supporter", ready to withdraw at any time and not be subjected to moral criticism.

In other words, Trump is not trying to make the US step back from the world stage, but rather recalculating a balance: does the US still want to continue being the "sucker"? Is the Ukraine war the US's war, or Europe's?

Trump and the MAGA crowd believe that the US has already paid too much, while Europe always shifts more responsibility onto the US. This so-called "unequal" structure must be broken.

Trump wants Europeans to understand that Russia is right at their doorstep, and Ukraine's stability is their security shield, not America's. If economic measures are to be used to force Putin to yield, the one who should pay the price should be the EU, not the US.

【This is actually Trump's typical transactional thinking】

This is actually Trump's typical transactional thinking. In his logic, American foreign relations are essentially a series of negotiations, there is no lofty mission of "values export," only naked costs and benefits.

Europe should not always expect the US to cover them. This is not the Marshall Plan of World War II, nor the NATO strategy of the Cold War. Times have changed, and the US will no longer unconditionally pay for Europe. Europe needs to take the lead.

However, the problem is that the EU does not have the capability or willingness to bear such responsibilities.

For a long time, there has been a huge division within the EU on its policy toward Russia: Eastern European countries firmly support Ukraine and want Russia to pay more costs; however, major powers like Germany and France have many concerns and act cautiously.

To say nothing of imposing "secondary tariffs" on China and India because of Russia: it is something every European country cannot accept, as the cost is too high.

【The EU lacks both the capability and the will to shoulder such responsibilities】

This leads to an awkward situation: the US claims to be tough on Russia, but secretly knows that without the EU's cooperation, many measures can't be implemented.

The so-called "secondary tariffs" can be imposed by the US unilaterally against India, but if the EU doesn't follow, India can easily transfer trade and find alternative markets to absorb the pressure.

Let alone China, a much larger and more influential country. Even if the US imposes high tariffs, it's hard to create real isolation effects, and instead would cause greater shocks to the US economy. Trump himself has experienced this.

It can be said that Trump's move is a "using others to kill". He doesn't really expect the EU to take strong actions against China and India, but instead presents an impossible task, firmly placing the responsibility on Europe. When future Ukraine negotiations hit a deadlock, he can turn around and say, "I had already proposed a solution, but the Europeans were unwilling to do it, so don't blame the US."

This way, the US clears its responsibility and keeps the flexibility to operate.

Notably, this strategy of Trump's is not limited to the Ukraine issue. In a series of topics such as NATO defense spending, energy policy, and refugee issues, he has adopted similar approaches - requiring Europe to act first, and the US to consider whether to support afterward.

In the long run, this model will gradually erode the foundation of transatlantic relations, making Europe increasingly feel that the US is unreliable, thus forcing them to pursue strategic autonomy. Although this process is long, it is an inevitable step that Europe must take.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7548379157672100398/

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