Trump Calls the European Union a 'Foe' in Interview

President Donald Trump called the European Union a "foe" in an interview broadcast Sunday, a characterization he made because of their economie policies.

Asked who he considers to be the biggest foes of the United States, Trump cited the European Union and its trade practices before mentioning Russia and China -- a fact the reporter doing the interview immediately noticed.

"I think we have a lot of foes. I think the European Union is a foe, what they do to us in trade. Now you wouldn't think of the European Union, but they're a foe," Trump said from his golf course in Scotland.

"Russia is foe in certain respects. China is a foe economically, certainly they are a foe. But that doesn't mean they are bad," he continued. "It doesn't mean anything. It means that they are competitive. They want to do well and we want to do well."

The interview comes after a contentious week of visits with European leaders. The president has antagonized long-time U.S. allies -- targeting Canada, the European Union and the United Kingdom in interviews and trade policy.

For months, he has also complained about EU trade policies. His administration earlier this year implemented steep tariffs on imports from the EU, prompting retaliatory measures from the European governing

Trump was due to arrive in Helsinki for his Monday meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Tens of thousands of people demonstrated against his visit to London on Friday and several thousand more protested on Saturday in Scotland, where he spent much of the weekend playing golf.

Putin was due to arrive in Helsinki just ahead of the talks on Monday.

Helsinki -- a venue which evokes memories of Cold War show-downs between the Soviet Union and the United States -- has introduced security measures for the summit, including temporary border checks.

At another square in Helsinki on Sunday, a small group of people, including members of the nationalist Finns Party, staged a pro-Trump rally.

In total, some 16 demonstrations are expected to be held in Helsinki on Sunday and Monday.

Helsinki mayor Jan Vapaavuori said he was not worried about the protests, saying Finland has a long history of peaceful demonstrations.

"I would be much more worried if we weren't preparing ourselves for some demonstrations," he said.

EU state Finland is seen as a neutral venue as it is not a member of the U.S.-led NATO military alliance. It shares a long border with Russia, which ruled it for more than a century until the 1917 Bolshevik revolution, when Finland won its independence.

Trump has said he and Putin will discuss among other issues reducing nuclear weapons. Trump has also said he has low expectations for the meeting, which could be overshadowed by accusations that Russians meddled in the U.S. 2016 election.

Material from Reuters wire service was used in this story.