European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has drawn a firm line against US President Donald Trump’s latest demand for Europe to impose sweeping tariffs on imports from India and China. Her rejection underscores both the deepening divergences between Washington and Brussels over economic statecraft and the EU’s effort to preserve its independent global strategy amid an increasingly fragmented geopolitical landscape.

In an interview with Le Soir published on September 21, von der Leyen stressed that the European Union “will make its own decisions,” rebuffing Trump’s proposal that Brussels follow Washington’s lead in introducing tariffs of up to 100% on Indian and Chinese goods. Trump had argued that such measures would increase economic pressure on Moscow, indirectly weakening Russia’s ability to sustain its military campaign in Ukraine by targeting two of its key trade partners.

Trump has consistently sought to weaponize global trade in pursuit of geopolitical ends, particularly in the context of the Ukraine conflict. By demanding Europe align with the US tariff regime, Trump hoped to isolate India and China-two countries that maintain economic ties with Russia despite Western sanctions.

Washington itself has already taken drastic steps. In late August, the administration slapped a 25% punitive tariff on Indian imports, effectively doubling the average duty on most goods to 50%. The justification, according to US officials, was India’s refusal to cut purchases of Russian crude oil, which has become a major revenue stream for Moscow. New Delhi, however, denounced the move as “unfair and unjustified,” insisting that its energy policy serves domestic economic needs rather than........

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