Trump meets von der Leyen in Scotland – and plays golf

In the struggle to reach an agreement in the tariff dispute with the USA , EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (66) has announced a personal meeting with US PresidentDonald Trump (79) in Scotland for Sunday. "After a good telephone conversation," she and Trump "agreed to meet in Scotland on Sunday to discuss the transatlantic trade relationship and how we can continue to keep it strong," von der Leyen explained on Friday in the online service X. Observers believe that the tariff negotiations between Brussels and Washington are nearing their final stages.

Before leaving for Scotland, Trump estimated the chances of reaching an agreement with the EU at 50 percent. "I would say we have a 50-50 chance, maybe less, but a 50-50 chance of reaching a deal with the EU," the Republican told reporters. Moments later, he added: "I think the EU has a pretty good chance of reaching an agreement."

On Wednesday (local time), Trump promised to reduce threatened tariffs on imports of European products if the European Union opens its market more to the US. Before that, Chancellor Friedrich Merz (69, CDU) had indicated that an agreement in the trade dispute could be imminent.

Trump had just agreed to 15 percent tariffs with Japan—significantly less than originally planned. The US has also been negotiating a trade deal with the EU for weeks, which is intended to prevent the 30 percent tariffs already announced by Trump from coming into effect on August 1. The deadline expires in a week.

Trump departed for Scotland on Friday to visit his Turnberry golf resort on the country's west coast, he told reporters. On Monday, after the scheduled meeting with von der Leyen, Trump will meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer (62) before the two depart for his sprawling golf estate 200 miles away near Aberdeen in the east. Trump said he and Starmer would discuss the US- UK trade agreement and possibly "improve" it. Trump did not provide any details, however.

The White House announced that Trump will open a second 18-hole golf course on the Aberdeen estate, named in honor of his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod . She was married to real estate developer Fred Trump and the mother of five children, including Donald Trump. The philanthropist was born on May 10 on an island off the west coast of mainland Scotland and grew up there before emigrating to the United States in 1930. MacLeod died on August 7, 2000.

He said he was looking forward to meeting both Starmer and Scottish First Minister John Swinney (61), who publicly endorsed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 US presidential election. "We have a lot to offer in Scotland. I have a lot of love—my mother was born in Scotland," he said. "The Scottish First Minister is a good man, so I look forward to meeting him," Trump said.