Various European leaders reacted to President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement saying that they will stick to the landmark Paris climate agreement even though the United States has withdrawn from it.

Von der Leyen insisted that the United States remains an important partner, taking a conciliatory tone in a speech to the annual meeting of global elites in Davos, Switzerland. The EU's "first priority will be to engage early, discuss common interests, and be ready to negotiate" with Trump, she said.

"If there is a need to defend Europe's economic interests, we are ready to do so," Valdis Dombrovskis said when asked about the threat by Trump -- who stopped short of announcing immediate new tariffs on US trading partners.

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