--- title: EU President: 'Different Views' From Trump on Global Relations description: European Union President Donald Tusk said he has “different views” from President Donald Trump on trans-Atlantic relations. canonical: https://time.com/5451540/european-union-president-trump/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-11-11T16:18:18.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:53:05.463Z article:section: Politics og:title: European Union President Says He Has 'Different Views' From President Trump on U.S.-Europe Relations og:description: France’s Macron also drew a distinction with Trump at a ceremony in Paris og:url: https://time.com/5451540/european-union-president-trump/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt214c0362246cb280/69893ebffb4eaca4e98982cd/donald-tusk-european-union.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3360 og:image:height: 1890 og:image:alt: donald-tusk-european-union og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: European Union President Says He Has 'Different Views' From President Trump on U.S.-Europe Relations twitter:description: France’s Macron also drew a distinction with Trump at a ceremony in Paris twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt214c0362246cb280/69893ebffb4eaca4e98982cd/donald-tusk-european-union.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # European Union President Says He Has 'Different Views' From President Trump on U.S.-Europe Relations > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=2027cf71-ef81-4c1d-9df3-be3f934a076f&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: President Trump and President Macron Try to Ease Tensions After Twitter Jab [Watch (HLS stream): President Trump and President Macron Try to Ease Tensions After Twitter Jab](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/JjU8Jm6Z.m3u8) (0:47)  _Published 2018-11-10. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron worked Saturday to ease tensions after a dustup over their comments about European security._ by [Jones Hayden /](https://time.com/author/bloomberg/) ## Jones Hayden / Contributor Nov 11, 2018 4:18 PM UTC  European Council President Donald Tusk attends a ceremony marking Polish Independence Day at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier in Warsaw, Poland, on Nov. 11, 2018. European Council President Donald Tusk attends a ceremony marking Polish Independence Day at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier in Warsaw, Poland, on Nov. 11, 2018. PAWEL SUPERNAK—EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock by [Jones Hayden /](https://time.com/author/bloomberg/) ## Jones Hayden / Contributor Nov 11, 2018 4:18 PM UTC (Bloomberg) — European Union President Donald Tusk said he has “different views” from U.S. President Donald Trump on trans-Atlantic relations and other elements of geopolitical order, pushing back after the American leader’s latest criticism of Europe. Tusk’s remarks came after Trump called “very insulting” comments by French President Emmanuel Macron that a “strong and sovereign Europe” was needed to defend its interests against China, Russia and “even the U.S.” Macron moved to smooth relations at a meeting with Trump in Paris on Saturday. “For the first time in history we have an American administration which, to put it delicately, is not very enthusiastically tuned in to a united, strong Europe,” Tusk said in a speech in Poland on Saturday. “And I’m talking here about facts, not about propaganda statements,” he said. “I have no doubt whatsoever that in those matters which — in my view — are the geopolitical foundation of Poland’s independence, namely a strong European Union, close integration between Europe and the United States, even closer than today, and the trans-Atlantic community, which is the essence of the global order, I have no doubt that with regard to all of this I have different views from my most influential namesake in the world,” Tusk said. France’s Macron also drew a distinction with Trump at a ceremony in Paris on Sunday commemorating the centenary of the end of World War I. “Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism; nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism,” Macron said. Trump said in September that he is a “nationalist” who rejects globalism. Tusk on Saturday warned that nationalist sentiment will lead to a “fundamental threat” in the EU as the bloc prepares for legislative elections next year. “I see no coincidence in the fact that in virtually all of Europe, whether openly or more discreetly, those who are enthusiastic about Brexit, those who are more or less enthusiastic about Washington’s further steps towards isolationism, those who are flirting with Vladimir Putin with increasing intensity, they are all attempting, also more or less unambiguously, to persuade us that the European Union in general, or in its current shape, has no future,” Tusk said in the speech. ### ‘Anti-European Emotion’ “I am talking here about the rise of nationalism and anti-European, not only rhetoric, but also anti-European emotion, in many European capitals,” he said. “This does not yet apply to today’s leaders, but these forces are growing before our very eyes. They are forces which back conflict rather than cooperation, disintegration rather than integration,” Tusk said. Saying the rise in nationalism “is illustrated most clearly by Brexit,” Tusk said it is up to ordinary citizens “whether politicians will bring about the break-up” of the EU. “It depends on us what happens in this lunatic parade — and I am using this expression intentionally — which began a few years ago in the United Kingdom. I talk about a lunatic parade because I’m thinking back to Prime Minister Cameron who in his opinion did everything he could to keep the United Kingdom in the European Union, but in actual fact did everything he could to make the United Kingdom leave the European Union,” Tusk said. Read more: Populism Hits Home for EU Party Papering Over Orban Problem “In a few months’ time, we will be electing the parliament in Europe,” the EU president said. “It cannot be ruled out that two political currents might occupy very powerful positions in that parliament: one, increasingly brown-shirted, unambiguously anti-European, looking more and more clearly towards nationalism, working against the European Union as such. The other current belongs to those who want to integrate the European Union as much as possible,” he said. EU political parties are maneuvering in preparation for the May 2019 elections to the European Parliament amid a populist surge that could affect the direction of the bloc. In addition to electing EU lawmakers, the results also will affect the appointment of the European Commission president, who leads the bloc’s executive arm in Brussels. ## Transcript We're getting along from the standpoint of fairness and want it to be fair. We want to help Europe and it has to be fair. Right now the burden sharing has been largely on the United States as the president will say and he understands that. And he understands that the United States can only do so much in fairness to the United States. But it's unfair to have The European security today, being assured just by the United States, and we need a much better insurance. That's why I do believe that we need more European capacities, more European defense. We know that to take just part of the burden, when President Trump Has to protect all the different one of the state of the United States. 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