Europe hits back after Trump vows tariffs as tool for taking over Greenland
European Union and UK leaders on Saturday warned of “the start of a dangerous spiral” after US President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on European countries until he has achieved the US control over Greenland.
And one senior German MEP said Trump’s latest threat raised a question mark over the EU-US trade deal agreed last year.
Ambassadors from the European Union’s 27 countries will convene on Sunday for an emergency meeting over the tariff threat, said Cyprus, which holds the six-month rotating EU presidency, late Saturday.
Earlier, EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, issued a joint statement – hours after Trump threatened multiple European nations with tariffs of up to 25%.
“Tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral,” they wrote in a post on social media.
“Europe will remain united, coordinated, and committed to upholding its sovereignty,” they added.
The statement came days after Danish and Greenlandic officials held talks in Washington over Trump’s bid to acquire the territory, without reaching agreement.
“The EU stands in full solidarity with Denmark and the people of Greenland,” said the EU statement.
“Dialogue remains essential, and we are committed to building on the process begun already last week between the Kingdom of Denmark and the US.”
Keir Starmer, the prime minister of non-EU member UK, condemned Trump’s tariff threat, opposing the US president’s efforts to acquire Greenland as “completely wrong”.
“Applying tariffs on allies for pursuing the collective security of Nato allies is completely wrong. We will of course be pursuing this directly with the US administration,” Starmer said in a statement.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson rejected Trump’s threat saying “We won’t let ourselves be intimidated.”
“I will always defend my country and our allied neighbours,” he told AFP, stressing that this was “a European question.”
“Sweden is currently having intensive discussions with other EU countries, Norway and the United Kingdom to find a joint response,” he added.
Trump said that from 1 February, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland would be subject to a 10% tariff on all goods sent to the United States.
German MEP Manfred Weber head of the largest group in the European Parliament, the conservative EPP, said Trump’s latest remarks called into question the EU-US trade deal negotiated last year.
“The EPP is in favour of the EU-US trade deal, but given Donald Trump’s threats regarding Greenland, approval is not possible at this stage,” he posted on X.
“The 0% tariffs on US products must be put on hold,” he added.
Brussels and Washington clinched a deal in July for most EU exports to face a 15% US levy, but both sides are still pushing for additional trade concessions.
