MEP Nicola Procaccini, a key ally of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the European Parliament, stated: “We have to avoid the escalations.”
Three diplomats informed POLITICO that the tool is still under consideration—seen as a last-resort option requiring further deliberation among capitals.
On Monday, ambassadors conveyed a growing determination to retaliate, which had developed from their three-hour meeting on Sunday.
“The mood is shifting,” noted a senior EU diplomat. “We need to be stronger and firmer. [Trump] likely respects a show of force more than an extended hand, which he sees as a sign of weakness.”
Meanwhile, European embassies in Washington are collaborating to engage key U.S. industries and companies potentially affected by EU countermeasures, aiming to pressure Trump to drop the plan, according to two diplomats. They are also reaching out to members of Trump’s circle and Republicans facing reelection in the U.S. midterms.
“We are trying to influence Congress members,” stated the senior EU diplomat, who attended the ambassadors’ emergency meeting on Sunday evening. “They are Republicans, up for reelection in November. They need to consider their home audiences. We aim to persuade them to take action.”
“European patience and tolerance are at an all-time low. But this doesn’t mean we are collectively ready to use the full force of the EU’s trade weapons,” said a national official. “We’re trying to deescalate this week.”
Zoya Sheftalovich and Nicholas Vinocur reported from Brussels; Max Griera reported from Strasbourg. Gerardo Fortuna, Gabriel Gavin, Jacopo Barigazzi, and Seb Starcevic contributed reporting.
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