European Union officials found themselves on the defensive this week, after agreeing to a blueprint for an unfavorable trade deal with President Trump that will hit most European exports with 15 percent tariffs, while dropping levies on American cars and some farm goods to zero.

François Bayrou, France’s prime minister, said on social media that it was a “dark day” for Europe. Another French minister called the agreement “unbalanced.” A left-leaning European Parliamentarian from Belgium posted a dismayed, “What happened, Europe?”

E.U. officials offered a simple response. The situation could have become a disaster, setting off an all-out trade war.

Still, the agreement is worse for Europe than just about anyone in the bloc’s upper echelons would have predicted just a few weeks ago, and even that required a combination of concessions, salesmanship and flattery.

It might nevertheless be one of the better results Europe could have obtained, said Aslak Berg, a research fellow at the Centre for European Reform in London.

“A lot of the initial reaction is that this a political defeat, this is a humiliation for the European Union,” Mr. Berg said. He added: “Is it what the E.U. wanted? No. Is it ideal? No. But if this agreement sticks — big if — it will provide a certain degree of predictability.”