EU officials hold 'crisis talks' amid warnings of 'brutal shock' if Trump wins US election

With the race between Trump and Kamala Harris neck-and-neck, European leaders are bracing for a potential shift in transatlantic relations.

The bloc is particularly worried about how a Trump victory might alter America's stance on foreign policy.

Trump's previous tenure as the 45th President left a fractured relationship with the EU, prompting officials to adopt a more assertive stance this time around.

"One of the lessons of the last time was that appeasement doesn't seem to work with this guy," an EU diplomat stated.

The official likened dealing with Trump to confronting a schoolyard bully, suggesting a firm approach might be necessary.

Brussels bureaucrats have reportedly drawn up plans to heavily tax iconic American products, such as Kentucky Bourbon and Harley-Davidson motorbikes, if Trump adopts a bullish stance towards the bloc.

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These targeted products come from states crucial to the 2026 midterm elections, a strategy aimed at pressuring congressional representatives to counterbalance Trump's potential actions.

"We certainly hope that that won't be necessary," the diplomat added.

Trump appears determined to implement a 100 per cent tariff on all imported vehicles if he wins the race to the White House.

He also pledged to enforce a universal 10 per cent import tariff on all foreign-made goods and a targeted 60 per cent import tariff on Chinese goods.

However, the EU's concerns about Trump's potential policies extend beyond economic matters to the critical issue of Ukraine's security.

"Strategic autonomy needs to be implemented as soon as possible because our future should not depend on who should be the next president of the United States," an official emphasised.

Trump's recent comments blaming Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for Russia's invasion have heightened anxieties in Brussels.

Despite Trump's criticism, he claimed to sympathise with the Ukrainian people, stating: "That doesn't mean I don't want to help him because I feel very badly for those people."

Zelensky is also all too aware of the stakes at play later today.

He previously said: "It depends on the elections in the United States."

Zelensky separately warned that weakened US support could lead to further Russian territorial gains.

He argued: "Ukraine's territories are not negotiable. Our constitution doesn't allow us to abandon our rightful lands."

Opinion polls suggest the Trump's race against Harris remains too close to call, with FiveThirtyEight leaving the contest as a coin flip.