The EU is responding to US President Donald Trump's tariff threat with a dual-track approach: negotiations with Washington are ongoing, while countermeasures have been temporarily suspended in a strategic effort to de-escalate.

The move comes as Trump threatens to impose sweeping 30% tariffs on EU products starting August 1 — a prospect that has prompted calls across Europe for a unified response. Italy supports this measured line, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni calls for firmness without escalation, warning that a trade war would only weaken Western interests.