European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde Monday criticized US President Donald Trump's "terrible language" about the European Union, in response to his comments that the bloc was formed to "screw" the United States.
She told German broadcaster ARD the United States had encouraged the formation of the bloc, adding to "say that it was intended to actually damage the US is completely counter-intuitive." "It's against history. And it's certainly not the purpose of this region," she said.
Trump made the comments about the EU earlier this year as he threatened to hit the bloc with hefty tariffs over its trade surplus with the United States.
Lagarde also said that Trump's remarks were "part of the usual provocation that we are getting accustomed to, unfortunately", but encouraged the EU to engage with the United States to try and reach a deal.
In his latest salvo against the EU, the US president threatened Friday to impose 50% tariffs on the bloc from June 1, voicing frustration that talks were "going nowhere".
But he agreed Sunday to delay the heftier levies on the EU until July 9 after a phone call with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen.
Lagarde emphasized that "we cannot just sit back and pretend. "We have to engage and we have to work with his team and we have to listen to their proposal. We have to make proposals and we have to negotiate."
The EU remains subject to a 10% tariff that Trump imposed last month on imports from nearly every country around the world, along with 25% duties on cars, steel and aluminium.
The EU's trade chief and his US counterpart were due to speak Monday afternoon after Trump reversed course on the 50% tariffs, according to the European Commission said.