EU leaders in Brussels have criticised President Donald Trump’s “unilateral” ban on travel from many European countries and warned the coronavirus pandemic is an international problem that demands co-ordinated action.
Ursula von der Leyen, European Commission president, and Charles Michel, president of the European Council of EU national leaders, issued a joint statement on Thursday that highlighted European alarm at the US move.
“The coronavirus is a global crisis, not limited to any continent and it requires co-operation rather than unilateral action,” they said. “The European Union disapproves of the fact that the US decision to improve a travel ban was taken unilaterally and without consultation. The European Union is taking strong action to limit the spread of the virus.”