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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump have agreed to hold a formal meeting, following a brief conversation at Pope Francis’s funeral, an EU spokesperson confirmed on Saturday.
“In their brief exchange, President von der Leyen and President Trump agreed to meet,” said Commission spokesperson Paula Pinha, though no date was provided for the discussions. World leaders engaged in a flurry of diplomatic talks on the sidelines of the funeral for the late Argentine pontiff.
The forthcoming meeting comes amid heightened global trade tensions, particularly regarding tariffs imposed by Trump, some of which have been scaled back, on the United States’ trading partners, including the European Union.
The EU is currently negotiating with Washington in an effort to secure exemptions from the tariffs, which include 25 per cent duties on European automobiles, aluminium, and steel.
During a visit to Washington on Friday, EU Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis indicated that further progress was necessary to finalise a deal.
Trump has often voiced scepticism towards the European Union, historically preferring to negotiate directly with individual member state leaders rather than with the heads of the bloc’s central institutions.
