Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said yesterday he agreed with European Council President Donald Tusk’s concerns over US President Donald Trump, China, Russia and radical Islam.

In a letter to national leaders before a summit he will chair in Malta on Friday, the conservative former Polish prime minister said Mr Trump had joined Russia, China and radical Islam among threats to Europe.

The summit, which forms part of Malta’s EU presidency, will be focusing on Brexit, migration and the situation in Libya.

Saying the EU today faced the greatest challenges in its 60-year history, Mr Tusk said an “assertive China”, “Russia’s aggressive policy” toward its neighbours and “radical Islam” fuelling anarchy in the Middle East and Africa were key external threats. These, he said, “as well as worrying declarations by the new American administration, all make our future highly unpredictable”.

He called on Europeans to stick together to avoid domination by three other continental powers.

The Prime Minister agrees with President Tusk that the apparent reversal of US policy towards the European Union is a source of significant concern

Asked for his reaction, a spokesman for Dr Muscat told the Times of Malta he too saw the need for a united European front to tackle the challenges listed.

“The Prime Minister agrees with President Tusk that the apparent reversal of US policy towards the European Union is a source of significant concern,” the spokes-man said.

He added that at a time when the need for a strong European voice was more important than ever, “we are optimistic that this will be stronger and more sensible than ever”.

Mr Tusk’s remarks were among the strongest directed at the new US President since he took office 12 days ago and reflects a growing sense in many European capitals of a need to respond to his policy moves, notably the ban on the entry of refugees and others from seven Muslim-majority countries.

Leaders in Brussels have been particularly concerned that Mr Trump has supported Brexit and spoken of other countries following Britain out of the EU.