EU still at odds with US over climate, trade and Russia

BRUSSELS - European Council President Donald Tusk admitted on Thursday that the bloc is still at odds with the United States over issues such as climate, trade and Russia.

"My feeling is that we agreed on many areas. First and foremost, on counterterrorism. ... But some issues remain open, like climate and trade," Tusk told reports after meeting with visiting US President Donald Trump.

"And I am not 100 percent sure that we can say today - we meaning President Trump and myself - that we have a common opinion about Russia, although when it comes to the conflict in Ukraine, it seems that we were on the same line," he said.

Tusk said he told the Trump that they should consolidate "the whole free world around those values, and not just interests".

"Values and principles first - this is what we, Europe and America, should be saying," said Tusk.

Trump, on his first overseas trip as US president, on Thursday met with Tusk and Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, both of whom have been critical of Trump's remarks in the past.

Later on Thursday, Trump and leaders of other NATO countries were scheduled to meet for the first time to map out the future of the organization, and try to narrow their differences on its budget.

Trump has had a fractious relationship with Europe since his candidacy, in which he publicly applauded the pro-Brexit campaign before and after the referendum which saw Britain decide to leave the European Union.

In January, as president-elect, he rattled many European allies by saying that NATO was obsolete, and indirectly threatening allies to leave the pact if they did not boost military spending.

Meanwhile, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday that the alliance will join the US-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group but will not wage direct war against the extremists.

In the wake of this week's suicide bomb attack at a concert in Manchester, NATO leaders are keen to show that the alliance is responding to today's security threats.

Stoltenberg said on Thursday that joining the US-led coalition "will send a strong political message of NATO's commitment to the fight against terrorism and also improve our coordination within the coalition".

"But it does not mean that NATO will engage in combat operations," he said.

Xinhua - Ap

(China Daily 05/26/2017 page11)