Trump says EU was born to "screw" U.S.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) was born to "screw" the United States, U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday during the first cabinet meeting of his second presidency.

"The European Union was formed to screw the United States -- that's the purpose of it and they've done a good job of it," Trump told reporters. "But now I'm president."

Trump said he would soon release details of his latest tariff threat. "We have made a decision and we'll be announcing it very soon. It'll be 25 percent," he said.

The European Commission immediately shot back. "The European Union is the world's largest free market. And it has been a boon for the United States," the AFP quoted a European Commission source as saying Wednesday.

The source also said that the EU would respond "firmly and immediately" to new tariffs.

In recent weeks, the U.S. administration has thrown the partnership between the United States and Europe into turmoil by vowing to impose higher import taxes on European goods, claiming they would equal the tariffs imposed on U.S. exports. ■