European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to meet with President Donald Trump this weekend in Scotland to discuss trade.
The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, is flying to Scotland to meet directly with President Donald Trump on Sunday, in a sign that a trade deal with America’s largest trading partner is within sight.
But European diplomats aren’t counting on a deal until it is officially rolled out, after being burned before by Trump’s penchant for last-minute reversals.
That’s because the president’s modus operandi when it comes to trade deals is clear: He wants to deal one-on-one with foreign leaders, applying an arm twist at the highest level to try and eke out final concessions. That doesn’t work as well with the European Union, the 27-nation bloc that makes decisions, literally, by committee.
That fundamental issue has turned the talks between the EU and the Trump administration into a series of stops and starts, as negotiators painstakingly piece together compromises, only for them to be slapped down when presented to Trump or European countries. And it’s why, even as the von der Leyen-Trump meeting raises hopes of reaching a deal to avoid a stiff U.S. tariff increase Aug. 1, they are not counting on it.
“Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed,” said one EU diplomat. “I guess everyone is quite tense,” said another.