The EU's top diplomat and Poland's prime minister said Wednesday that the bloc must heed US President Donald Trump's demand to spend much more on defence -- faced with the "existential threat" posed by Russia.

The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas said Russia is a problem "for all of us," while adding that Trump is "right" on European defense spending. Poland's Donald Tusk said "if Europe is to survive, it needs to be armed.

U.S. President Donald Trump pledged Tuesday to hit the European Union with tariffs, adding that a 10% duty on Chinese imports could also come as soon as February 1. Trump, who was speaking to reporters at the White House a day after being sworn in,

The return of U.S. President Donald Trump to the White House is a wake-up call for European Union countries to fix their economies and become more competitive, the EU's senior financial officials said on Monday as Trump was sworn in for a second term.