European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to hold a formal meeting when they spoke on Saturday, April 26th at Pope Francis‘s funeral, an EU spokesperson said.
“In their brief exchange, President von der Leyen and President Trump agreed to meet,” commission spokesperson Paula Pinha said without giving a date.
The two leaders‘ meeting comes against a backdrop of global trade tensions over tariffs Trump announced—and since walked back on—on the United States’ trading partners, including the European Union.
The EU is negotiating with the Trump administration in the hopes of obtaining an exemption on the levies, which include 25-percent taxes on European automobiles, aluminium, and steel.
