Europe: A vassal state of the US

[dsanchez]

Have been seen this trend for years, but it seems to be more evident lately. Now this:

.@vonderleyen: "You're known as a tough negotiator and dealmaker..."@POTUS: "And fair."

😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/LyuLLs53GO

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 27, 2025

Arnaud Betrand:

The "deal" is:
- The EU now gets charged 15% tariffs on its exports to the US when they commit to charging zero tariffs on US imports in the EU
- The EU agrees to invest $600 billion in the US, for no other obvious reason than pleasing "daddy"
- The EU will "purchase hundreds of billions of dollars of American military equipment"
- The EU commits to buying 750 billion dollars worth of very expensive US LNG, specifically $250 billion for each of the next 3 years

In exchange for all these concessions and extraction of their wealth they get... nothing. I'm not even exaggerating, that IS the deal: the EU gets nothing.

https://x.com/RnaudBertrand/status/1949578088712712651

[Sacha8]

That's absolutely disgusting, the state we're in. Throughout these months, because of the international political situation, I've often thought about the song Alone as (unintentionally?) referring to civilization degrading into barbarism. "We toast with bitter drags to our emptiness" indeed...

[dsanchez]

From Twitter:

Trump is in Britain, but nevertheless he is receiving Starmer as guests ... so Starmer is not the host.
LMAO ... isn't it supposed to be the other way around?

And President Trump is making him come to Scotland rather than Trump going to London. Starmer really is being humiliated here, with him coming up the steps to be greeted by a waiting US president. Wow.

🇬🇧🇺🇸 POWER MOVE: Trump is in Britain, but nevertheless he is receiving Starmer as guests ... so Starmer is not the host.

LMAO ... isn't it supposed to be the other way around? pic.twitter.com/O0PcCHmzix

— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) July 28, 2025

"Thank you for your hospitality"

Starmer thanks Trump for receiving him.

LMAO ... Trump managed to turn his Britain visit into Starmer being thankful that he can see him. Power move. lol. pic.twitter.com/de7IHJbuqx

— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) July 28, 2025

[dsanchez]

Oh my...

This is absolutely extraordinary and beyond parody: pic.twitter.com/EURtXsP44f

A reporter rightly asks Von Der Leyen "What are the US concessions? What is the US giving up in the deal"

VDL's reply is that there was none because "the starting point was an imbalance, a surplus on...

— Arnaud Bertrand (@RnaudBertrand) July 28, 2025

[Ulrich]

Leaders from Europe's two largest economies have led a chorus of gloomy reactions to the trade deal struck between EU chief Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the agreement would "substantially damage" his nation's finances, while French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said it was tantamount to "submission".

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3ez97zv5y5o

[MeltingMan]

Tariffs of 15% are difficult to understand in the 21st century.

(Ulrike Malmendier via AFP Germany)

PS: You don't have to be an economic expert to see that this agreement is one-sided. The difference is: the EU has a war on its doorstep, and the Americans don't. We didn't want this war, but all the costs will be passed on to future EU citizens. Trump should publicly acknowledge that the EU is averting his country's potential national bankruptcy. Winners look different.