SNS: EU Cannot Obligate Its Member States to Purchase Weaponry and Energy

Bratislava, 28 July (TASR) - It is impossible to imagine that European Commission leaders are imposing an obligation upon individual Member States to buy weaponry and energy, the coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) informed on Monday in response to the negotiated trade deal between the European Union (EU) and the United States. The SNS representatives added that importing energy from the USA when it's available at cheaper prices is illogical. "It can be said that the leadership of the European Commission has issued, without any mandate, a promissory note to US President Donald Trump. As an experienced businessman, Donald Trump has taken advantage of the incompetence of the European Commission leadership and gained huge economic benefits for the United States," the SNS representatives noted. SNS calls upon Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) to immediately protest against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic, as well as to express disagreement over the deal signed with the US. "We believe that Robert Fico will unequivocally oppose the deal that harms the interests and sovereignty of the Slovak Republic," the SNS stressed. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump reached a deal to resolve a trade dispute over tariff hikes in Turnberry, Scotland, on Sunday (27 July) evening. According to Trump, the tariff rate on most EU imports to the US, including the automotive industry, will be 15 percent. The US president said that the EU agreed to buy 750 billion USD worth of energy from the US and wants to invest an additional 600 billion USD (€512 billion) in the USA. He specified that tariffs on steel and aluminium imports would remain at the current level of 50 percent. jrg/mcs/ko