Weeks before President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs against the much of the world, EU officials had already proposed a deal to eliminate tariffs on both sides—a proposal the White House ignored in favor of confrontation.

EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič confirmed that on February 19, during a meeting with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the EU presented a “zero-for-zero” plan that would remove tariffs on automobiles and industrial goods, including pharmaceuticals and machinery.

The proposal remained on the table as Trump publicly claimed the EU was unwilling to negotiate. Instead of responding to the offer, he launched a full-scale tariff campaign targeting European steel, cars, and industrial goods. “They’re going to have to buy their energy from us,” Trump told a rally, falsely citing a $350 billion trade deficit with the EU and accusing European leaders of economic manipulation.

Šefčovič said the EU remains open to dialogue but warned that “we will not wait endlessly” while being targeted by U.S. economic aggression. The EU has since finalized retaliatory tariffs on iconic American products, including motorcycles and jeans, scheduled to take effect April 15.

The revelation has undermined the Trump regime’s narrative that the tariffs were necessary leverage. “The deal Trump wanted was already sitting on his desk,” said one EU official. “He wanted the fight, not the outcome.”

Markets have been rattled by the escalation, and European leaders have begun working with other trade partners to shield their economies from further fallout. While the EU insists the door is still open, the sense of betrayal has cast doubt on whether trust can be rebuilt.

Trump’s trade war, critics argue, has become less about results and more about spectacle. The EU offered peace—he chose the optics of conflict.