BRUSSELS - European Council President Donald Tusk on Wednesday urged US President Donald Trump to restart EU-US trade talks in order to bring down trade barriers on both sides rather than risking a trade war.

"His proposal to impose tariffs on European steel and aluminum is a bad sign for transatlantic relations. Let me be clear: instead of risking a trade war, which he seems eager to wage, we should be aiming for greater cooperation," Tusk said at a press conference in Helsinki.

"When the president says he is unhappy about too many barriers and tariffs between the EU and the United States, I can understand him. We are not happy either. That is the reason why, a few years ago, we started trade negotiations with the United States," he said.

Tusk was referring to the controversial Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) talks which have been paused since Trump's election victory in 2016.

"We should go back to these talks now. Make trade, not war, Mr. President," Tusk said.