European Council President Donald Tusk blasted U.S. President Donald Trump Tuesday, saying the European Union "should be grateful." Writing on Twitter, he said Trump's recent actions have eliminated any "illusions" of collaboration between the continent and the U.S.
Tusk's comments came in response to Trump's decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear agreement and his threat to impose punitive trade sanctions on the 28-nation European Union.
European Union leaders met in the Bulgarian capital of Sofia Wednesday to consider options to keep the Iran nuclear deal intact and to protect the union's economic cooperation efforts with Iran that began to revive after Trump pulled out of the pact.
After listing long-term challenges confronting the EU, such as Russian aggression and China's expansion as a global power, Tusk said at a news conference, "We are witnessing today a new phenomenon, the capricious assertiveness of the American administration."
EU leaders are not expected to make any quick decisions. But they are expected to continue to adhere to the provisions of the deal and to consider options to shield European investments in Iran, which many EU nations hope to benefit from.
