Donald Trump accuses EU of 'robbing' US as he delivers a new snub to Theresa May

Donald Trump has accused European leaders of “robbing” the US and treating it like a “piggy bank” as he delivered a new snub to Theresa May.

The US President said that the US has been “taken advantage of for decades and decades” and warned the European Union that it would be a "mistake" to start a trade war with the US, adding: "We can't lose, the numbers are so astronomically against them. We win that war 1,000 times out of 1,000."

He said that the US is the “piggy bank that everybody’s robbing”, adding: “That will change.”

He insisted that his relationship with Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, Emmanuel Macron, the French President, and Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister is a “ten out of ten”.

However he did not name Mrs May, fuelling suggestions of tense personal relations between the two leaders. It comes after his allies compared her to a “schoolmistress” and said she was “too politically correct”.

He told European Union leaders that the "gig is up" and claimed they smiled as he highlighted the trade imbalance between the US and other nations. "They couldn't believe they got away with it for so long," he said.

He said that the other nations had "ravaged" the US and that the EU had treated it in a "brutal" way. 

He added that he would like to see the group expanded back to the G8, with Russia readmittted - something opposed by UK Prime Minister Theresa May. "I think it would be an asset to have Russia back in," he said.

It came amid mounting suggestions that the G7 will end without a final communique agreed between the leaders for the first time.

During working working sessions on Friday and over dinner that he is not prepared to concede ground over steel and aluminium tariffs. 

He repeatedly highlighted the United States' trade deficit with European nations in a variety of sectors, arguing that it showed how unfairly America was being treated.

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European leaders in turn united as they accused him of imposing "unjustified" sanctions and warning that they would ultimately damage the US economy. 

There was also a significant impasse over the environment. Justin Trudeau, the Canadian Prime Minister, had hoped to make protecting the oceans from pollution one of the key legacies of the G7 but Mr Trump would not agree to the move. 

It means that the summit in Quebec will end on Saturday without a formal communique highlighting the policies that the leaders have agreed on. Instead Mr Trudeau is expected to make a "chairman's statement" articulating his view of the progress that has been made.

It comes after Mr Trump opened the summit by calling for Russia to be reinstated to the group, prompting a furious backlash from European leaders led by Theresa May, the Prime Minister.

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However there were hopes of a breakthrough in the trade dispute after Mr Trump held what appeared to be positive talks with Emmanuel Macron, the French President.

“The principle of a dialogue was agreed this afternoon,” a French official told reporters. “Everyone agreed, including President Trump.”

“Something’s going to happen. I think it will be very positive,” Mr Trump said, without giving details.

Mr Macron said it was possible to advance the trade issues that have split the US and its allies.

“I think, on trade, there is ... a way to progress all together,” he told reporters after his meeting with Trump. “I saw the willingness on all the sides to find agreements and have a win-win approach for our people, our workers, and our middle classes.”

Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, called for a "shared dialogue mechanism" in a bid to resolve the trade dispute.

Earlier the world leaders had managed to agree a joint communique, however Mr Trump appeared to withdraw his endorsement late on Saturday night. 

He tweeted: "Based on Justin’s false statements at his news conference, and the fact that Canada is charging massive Tariffs to our U.S. farmers, workers and companies, I have instructed our U.S. Reps not to endorse the Communique as we look at Tariffs on automobiles flooding the U.S. Market!"

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