The European Commission chief did not explicitly mention the new US president or his trade policies, but underscored the number of American jobs tied to European trade.

The European Union will have a "pragmatic" attitude towards the new administration of Donald Trump but "always" stand ready to defend its strategic interests against any unjustified measure, Ursula von der Leyen said on Tuesday in a speech that set the tone for how Brussels intends to engage with Washington in the next four years.

BRUSSELS - The European Commission evaded questions on Monday concerning its failure to inform the public that Ursula von der Leyen was hospitalised. That the Commission president had been in hospital for about a week due to severe pneumonia was revealed last Friday by the German Press Agency (dpa).

This, then, is the way to lift Von der Leyen’s curse. Allow coalitions of states to combine in respective self-interest and in strategic partnership with their industries, taking state aid to a co-ordinated multinational level.

The EU chief focused much of her address on the need to foster partnerships beyond the United States -- calling for the bloc to "engage constructively" with China, despite rising trade tensions between Beijing and Brussels.

The European Union will maintain a pragmatic stance toward the administration of Donald Trump while prioritizing the defense of its strategic interests, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated during the World Economic Forum in Davos.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen declared Tuesday that Europe was ready to negotiate with US President Donald Trump but the bloc will also seek to improve ties with China