• European Council President Donald Tusk hit back after President Donald Trump called the European Union a “foe” of the United States.
  • Tusk defended the close relationship between the US and EU, calling any other characterization of it “fake news”.
  • Trump’s comments double down on his criticism of NATO member countries at last week’s summit.

European Council President Donald Tusk hit back after President Donald Trump called the European Union a “foe” of the United States in an interview that aired Sunday.

In a Sunday tweet, Tusk said the US and the EU are “best friends” and borrowed one of Trump’s most-used phrases, calling any other description of their relationship “fake news.”

When “CBS Evening News” anchor Jeff Glor asked Trump in an interview taped in Scotland Saturday who is his “biggest foe globally right now”, Trump named the European Union, members of which are some of America’s oldest and closest global allies.

"I think we have a lot of foes," Trump said. "I think the European Union is a foe, what they do to us in trade. Now, you wouldn't think of the European Union, but they're a foe."

Trump also identified Russia and China as "foes", countries with which the US is grappling with recent indictments in a federal investigation into US presidential election interference and an escalating trade war, respectively.

His comments came on the heels of a tense UK tour and just before a one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Trump also publicly bashed the EU on Twitter on his way to Brussels for the 2018 NATO Summit, which Tusk answered with a direct public statement.

"Appreciate your allies." Tusk said. "After all, you don't have that many."