logo
'No justification for this': World reacts to Trump's tariff announcement

'No justification for this': World reacts to Trump's tariff announcement

Sky News02-04-2025
World leaders have begun reacting after Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs across the world.
Mr Tump announced a 10% trade tariff on all imports from the UK.
He said he would impose a 10% baseline tariff on all imports to the US and higher duties on some of the country's biggest trading partners.
Speaking at a White House event entitled 'Make America Wealthy Again', the president held up a chart detailing the worst offenders, hitting at foreign "cheaters".
These are some of the world leaders' reactions.
6:39
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin has said there is "no justification" for US tariffs.
"I deeply regret the US decision to impose 20% tariffs on imports from across the European Union," the taoiseach added.
"We see no justification for this. More than €4.2bn worth of goods and services are traded between the EU and the US daily.
"Disrupting this deeply integrated relationship benefits no one. Tariffs drive inflation, hurt people on both sides of the Atlantic, and put jobs at risk."
Manfred Weber, the president of the largest party in the European Parliament, the EPP, said: "To our American friends, today isn't liberation day - it's resentment day. Donald Trump's tariffs don't defend fair trade; they attack it out of fear and hurt both sides of the Atlantic.
"Europe stands united, ready to defend its interests, and open to fair, firm talks."
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said: "It is the American people who will pay the biggest price for these unjustified tariffs.
"This is why our government will not be seeking to impose reciprocal tariffs. We will not join a race to the bottom that leads to higher prices and slower growth."
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, seen as close ally of the US president, called the tariffs "wrong" and said they would not benefit the United States.
"We will do everything we can to work towards an agreement with the United States, with the goal of avoiding a trade war that would inevitably weaken the West in favour of other global players," she said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Donald Trump's summit with Putin will be a 'listening exercise', White House says
Donald Trump's summit with Putin will be a 'listening exercise', White House says

Daily Mail​

time12 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Donald Trump's summit with Putin will be a 'listening exercise', White House says

The White House said that Donald Trump will be treating Friday's summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin as a 'listening exercise'. Officials yesterday confirmed that the high-stakes talks will take place in Alaska 's largest city, Anchorage, with the US President 'determined to try to end this war [in Ukraine] and stop the killing'. It came as Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky – who is excluded from the meeting – warned that Russia was 'readying for a new offensive' rather than preparing to end the war. Speaking at a White House briefing, US press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: 'This is a listening exercise for the President. Only one party that's involved in this war is going to be present, so this is for the President to go and get a more firm understanding of how we can hopefully bring this war to an end.' She appeared to temper expectations, adding: 'The President wants a peace deal, he wants to see this war come to an end. But this bilateral meeting is a bilateral meeting between one party in a two-party war – you need both countries to agree to a deal.' Ms Leavitt also suggested that Mr Trump could soon visit Putin in Moscow, saying 'perhaps there are plans'. Her comments followed a deeply troubling press conference on Monday where Mr Trump heaped praise on Putin and appeared to blame Mr Zelensky for the war. Last night Mr Zelensky cited a report from his intelligence and military command, claiming that Moscow was redeploying troops and forces 'in ways that suggest preparations for new offensive operations'. Kyiv was forced to divert special forces units to confront Russian saboteurs who reportedly slipped up to six miles behind Ukrainian lines near Dobropillya in Donetsk. If Moscow is able to establish a foothold they may be able to cut off the vital city of Kramatorsk, which would effectively give Putin almost full control over the Donbas region. The territory seized is also within striking distance of Slovyansk, Druzhkivka and Kostyantynivka – the so-called 'fortress belt' that has anchored Ukraine's Donetsk defences since 2014. Yesterday every EU leader – apart from Hungary's Viktor Orban, a Putin ally – signed a statement appealing to Mr Trump not to exclude Kyiv from talks about its future. The White House has confirmed that Mr Trump will hold a virtual meeting today with Mr Zelensky and European allies ahead of Friday's summit.

Homeless who refuse to cooperate with Trump crackdown may go to jail, White House says
Homeless who refuse to cooperate with Trump crackdown may go to jail, White House says

Reuters

time14 minutes ago

  • Reuters

Homeless who refuse to cooperate with Trump crackdown may go to jail, White House says

WASHINGTON, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Homeless people in Washington, D.C., could face jail time if they do not comply with President Donald Trump's efforts to crack down on crime and rid the U.S. capital of homeless encampments, the White House said on Tuesday. "Homeless individuals will be given the option to leave their encampment, to be taken to a homeless shelter, to be offered addiction or mental-health services, and if they refuse, they will be susceptible to fines or to jail time," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters. Leavitt said the administration was exploring strategies to relocate homeless individuals "far from the capital." She said U.S. Park Police have removed 70 homeless encampments from federal parks since March and are set to clear the remaining two encampments in the city later this week. Andy Wassenich, director of policy at Miriam's Kitchen - an organization offering services to the homeless - said his team was out trying to warn people. He said there was still a lot of confusion about what the crackdown may bring. Their best advice, he said, was: "Go to shelter if you can, if you can stand it. If you have anybody you can stay with, get off the street, and seek safety and let us know what we can do for you." Trump said on social media that he wanted the homeless out of Washington even before he announced the extraordinary step of temporarily taking over the District of Columbia's police department and deploying 800 National Guard troops as part of a crackdown on crime there - an effort that also includes another 500 federal law enforcement agents. A billionaire real estate developer, Trump described the homeless as one of several groups who have "overtaken" Washington that include "violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs." He likened his intended crackdown to his administration's actions to secure the U.S. border with Mexico. U.S. communities have long experienced seemingly intractable problems with homelessness, which reached an all-time national high of over 771,000 men, women and children on a single night in 2024, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development's latest homelessness report to Congress. The HUD report estimated Washington's homeless population at 5,616, a 14.1% increase from the year before. That made Washington, a city of just over 700,000 people, the 16th out of the 20 U.S. cities with the largest homeless populations, according to the website USA Facts. The top five cities are New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle and Denver. But the District of Columbia had the highest prevalence of homelessness among U.S. states, with 83 homeless individuals for every 10,000 people, HUD data showed. Homeless people did not appear to be caught up in a Monday night sweep by 850 officers and federal agents, who the White House said made 23 arrests across the city, an operation which Leavitt announced at a press conference on Monday. The District of Columbia operates under the Home Rule Act, which gives Congress ultimate authority but allows residents to elect a mayor and city council. Trump bypassed the city's elected leaders by declaring a "public safety emergency" and invoking a section of the act that allows the president to take over the police force for 30 days under emergency conditions. On Sunday night, a small group of federal agents arrived at Union Station - a gathering place for homeless people - and briefly questioned a person standing there, according to a man who was outside the building at the time. After about 15 minutes, the agents, who were from a variety of federal agencies, left with little fanfare. Jacob Adams, a political activist with FLARE USA, a self-described anti-Trump group, was sitting at the organization's table set up near the fountain outside the station. He said the agents did nothing to disperse the people who had gathered there, and in fact told them they could stay overnight. "I don't know if it was a show of force or photo ops. But it didn't come off as very forceful," Adams said. Wassenich said on Tuesday that so far there was little evidence of the unhoused population being directly affected by the surge in law enforcement. "If they are caught up in other things, that's certainly possible," he said. "The tents are still standing. The people are still sleeping on whatever bench they might be on."

Starmer to co-chair Ukraine meeting after call with Trump and European leaders
Starmer to co-chair Ukraine meeting after call with Trump and European leaders

South Wales Argus

time33 minutes ago

  • South Wales Argus

Starmer to co-chair Ukraine meeting after call with Trump and European leaders

Sir Keir will join a virtual call at midday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. They will then be joined by Mr Trump and US vice president JD Vance. Later, the Prime Minister will co-chair a Coalition of the Willing meeting to update wider partners on the day's discussions. The Coalition of the Willing is an international effort to support Ukraine towards a lasting peace, led by the UK, France and Ukraine. I am grateful to the leaders of Europe for their clear support of our independence, territorial integrity, and precisely such an active approach to diplomacy that can help end this war with a dignified peace. Indeed, we all support President Trump's determination, and together… — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) August 12, 2025 It is made up of 31 countries that have pledged strengthened support for Kyiv, including 27 European countries, as well as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Ahead of Wednesday's call, a Downing Street spokesperson said: 'The Prime Minister remains absolutely focused on a solution to this conflict grounded in Ukraine's national interests. 'He is determined to achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, backed by robust and credible security guarantees that will deter Russia from threatening Ukraine in future.' This comes ahead of the expected meeting between Mr Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday. The two leaders are set to meet to discuss the future of the Kremlin's invasion, without the presence of Mr Zelensky. The Ukrainian President said at a news briefing on Tuesday that Mr Putin wants Ukraine to withdraw from the remaining 30% of the Donetsk region that Kyiv controls as part of a ceasefire deal. This was conveyed to him by US officials, Mr Zelensky explained. However, he reiterated that Ukraine would not withdraw from territories it controls because it is unconstitutional and would only serve as a springboard for a future Russian invasion. President Volodymyr Zelensky will not be at the summit in Alaska (Jaimi Joy/ PA credit) Mr Trump has also signalled he thinks Ukraine might need to cede territory in order to end the conflict, stating there is likely to be 'some land-swapping going on'. Speaking during a lengthy press conference on Monday, Mr Trump pledged to 'try to get back' some of Ukraine's 'oceanfront property' from Russia. He said: 'We're going to change the lines, the battle lines. Russia has occupied a big portion of Ukraine. They've occupied some very prime territory. We're going to try and get some of that territory back for Ukraine. 'They have taken largely – in real estate we call it oceanfront property. That's always the most valuable property.' A statement released by the European Union on Tuesday read: 'A just and lasting peace that brings stability and security must respect international law, including the principles of independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and that international borders must not be changed by force. 'The people of Ukraine must have the freedom to decide their future. 'The path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine. 'Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities.' In response, Mr Zelensky said on X (formerly Twitter): 'I am grateful to the leaders of Europe for their clear support for our independence, territorial integrity, and precisely such an active approach to diplomacy that can help end this war with a dignified peace. 'Indeed, We all support President Trump's determination, and together we must shape positions that will not allow Russia to deceive the world once again. 'We see that the Russian army is not preparing to end the war. On the contrary, they are making movements that indicate preparations for new offensive operations. 'In such circumstances, it is important that the unity of the world is not threatened. 'As long as they continue the war and the occupation, all of us together must maintain our pressure – the pressure of strength, the pressure of sanctions, the pressure of diplomacy.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store