The European Union will work to ensure lower U.S. tariffs on its car exports are applied retroactively to August 1, the bloc's trade chief said.

White House officials hailed the joint statement as an important step. The deal is still not final and officials have weeks or even months of negotiations ahead.

The agreement still represents a large increase in tariffs for the U.S.-EU relationship, as most duties were at 0%.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and the European Union on Thursday issued a joint statement that frames the ongoing deal between the trading partners and solidifies some trade commitments.

European officials expressed relief at avoiding disaster in Washington talks while privately questioning whether Trump will honor promises about Ukraine's future security.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders will hold a joint preparatory meeting in Washington on Monday 18 August ahead of talks with US President Donald Trump.

The German government believes the Ukraine summit in Washington was a historic meeting that successfully realigned the US government with European positions, government sources said on Tuesday. Monday's meeting in the White House,

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said Monday's meeting in Washington between US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and EU leaders could mark a “game changer” on the path toward peace in Ukraine.