Trump golfs with Finland's president amid icy relationship with EU
President Trump joined the leader of Finland, a member of the European Union (EU), for a round of golf Saturday, despite trade tensions with the executive body, which recently announced levies on agricultural products and clothing items imported from the United States slated to take effect in mid-April.
“President Stubb and I look forward to strengthening the partnership between the United States and Finland, and that includes the purchase and development of a large number of badly needed Icebreakers for the U.S., delivering Peace and International Security for our Countries, and the World,” Trump wrote in a Saturday Truth Social post in which he also complimented his counterpart on his golfing technique.
President Alexander Stubb played golf with Republican lawmakers, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and former Congressman Trey Gowdy (S.C.), at the Trump International Golf Club’s Men’s Member-Guest tournament in Palm Beach, Fla., earlier this year.
“President Stubb told me, in the most powerful of words, that the United States is STRONG, and BACK, AGAIN. I AGREE,” he added.
Their friendly relationship comes amid a policy clash that’s been bubbling for weeks. In addition to levies on agricultural and clothing imports, the EU is also looking to impose a tax on American whiskey products in response to Trump’s 25 percent tariff on steel and aluminum from the bloc of nations.
The president placed a similar tax on products from Canada which has also pledged to pursue a plan of recourse.
However, Trump has warned the two not to join forces in a plot against the U.S.
“If the European Union works with Canada in order to do economic harm to the USA, large scale Tariffs, far larger than currently planned, will be placed on them both in order to protect the best friend that each of those two countries has ever had!” Trump wrote on Truth Social early Thursday morning.
The White House is expected to announce reciprocal tariffs on April 2 for a range of nations after months of unexpected new international trade policies.
Trump has proposed giving certain nations exemptions from levies but has waited to reveal more about his encroaching policies until the actual deadline.
“I may give a lot of countries breaks. It’s reciprocal, but we might be even nicer than that. You know, we’ve been very nice to a lot of countries for a long time,” Trump told reporters Monday at the White House.
“We may take less than what they’re charging, because they’ve charged us so much I don’t think they could take it. But it will be substantial.”