"Nobody can stay friends when you are constantly humiliated and insulted by the other party," Prime Minister Bart De Wever (N-VA) said on Thursday, ahead of his meeting US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Brussels on Friday.
This meeting will take place two days after President Donald Trump announced new customs tariffs of 20% for European Union countries.
"I’ve also compiled my list of areas I want to discuss," De Wever said on Villa Politica (VRT).
"One key point is that the Trump administration is really not building a good image in Europe. The trade war, disrespect for our internal order and values, and the negotiation process on Ukraine have astonished us, as well as the disdain for the European Union, which certainly does not make us happy," De Wever said.
The Prime Minister’s "key question" is: "Are we still Atlanticists on both sides of the ocean?" While the United States can rightly criticise us in areas such as defence, "nobody can stay friends when you are constantly humiliated and insulted by the other party."
Prime Minister Bart De Wever pictured during a plenary session of the Chamber at the Federal Parliament in Brussels, Thursday 03 April 2025. Credit: Belga / Eric Lalmand
De Wever believes it is unrealistic to increase defence spending to 3% or even 3.5% of GDP in the short term, let alone the 5% previously mentioned by Rubio.
The question is whether this 5% is a serious demand or a diplomatic move to indicate that spending needs to rise. De Wever assures that the government will be able to move towards the current NATO standard of 2%.
'Real catastrophe'
Earlier on Thursday, De Wever called the new American import tariffs "a real catastrophe for the global economy." At the same time, he said in the Chamber on Thursday afternoon, there are opportunities in a crisis.
"It seems to me the perfect moment for Europe to start assertively concluding free trade agreements with new partners across the world, who are looking to us more than ever," said De Wever.
The Prime Minister called Trump's announcement "unprecedented". It is too early to put a concrete figure on the economic damage that Belgium could suffer. However, the United States is the most important export market besides our neighbouring countries, and so the consequences will be "considerable," he said.
