European leaders have learned lessons from Donald Trump’s first presidency and are now more unified and determined than ever to stand up to him, senior diplomats and officials from Brussels and EU capitals told Politico.

“We’ll hit back quickly and forcefully,” one high-ranking European diplomat said, describing the EU’s contingency plans for a potential trade war with Trump.

A second diplomat from another European country confirmed that EU states are closely coordinating their strategy, with the European Commission taking the lead.

“Brussels already has a prepared list and feels confident it can win this trade war,” the diplomat added.

The European Union has established a rapid-response team in preparation for potential fallout from the US elections scheduled for November 5.

“Last time, we underestimated how far Trump was willing to go,” the first senior diplomat explained. “This time, we’ve had time to prepare. Europe has changed significantly, and we’ll be ready to act.”

According to diplomats and officials, EU leaders believe that the stronger their retaliation, the faster Trump will come to the negotiating table.

The objective is to create enough economic pressure that Trump is compelled to start immediate negotiations, placing the EU in a more advantageous position. The undesirable alternative, in their view, is an escalating spiral of retaliatory measures extending over years.

“The Commission has prepared substantial countermeasures aimed at pushing Trump to reach a deal early, the diplomat concluded.