FILE PHOTO: Netherlands' Prime Minister Mark Rutte arrives at a European Union leaders informal summit in Brussels, Belgium, February 23, 2018. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The European Union must be prepared to take counter measures against U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Friday.

“We strive for de-escalation, but we must make clear that we are prepared to take countermeasures,” Rutte told journalists.