Countries within the European Union are rapidly seeking a unified approach in response to US President Donald Trump‘s threat to implement an additional 10-percent tariff on goods from several European nations starting February 1.
EU leaders are scheduled to gather in Brussels on Thursday following Trump’s warning that eight European nations would encounter increased tariffs until the US secures what he termed a “complete and total purchase” of Greenland.
The US has consistently expressed interest in acquiring the mineral-rich autonomous Danish territory of Greenland for “national security” reasons, despite already having a military presence on the island and established security agreements with NATO ally Denmark, which has governed the Arctic island for roughly 300 years.
Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom recently dispatched a limited number of troops on a reconnaissance mission to Greenland as a gesture of support for Denmark in its opposition to Trump’s acquisition ambitions.
“We won’t be blackmailed, and we stand together in solidarity in Europe,” remarked German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil as he arrived in Brussels on Monday for a two-day meeting with his EU counterparts. “We do not seek escalation, but we are prepared if it occurs,” he added.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, regarded as one of Trump’s few allies within the EU, labeled the tariff threat as a “mistake”.
In another threat, Trump intensified his rhetoric against France on Tuesday, warning of 200 percent tariffs on French wine and champagne over France’s decision to decline his invitation to join his “Board of Peace” focused on the reconstruction of Gaza.
French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos on Tuesday, stated, “It does not make sense to impose tariffs among allies. We must address the war in Ukraine, assist the Ukrainians in their resistance, and seek a sustainable peace.”
Macron described the potential activation of the Anti-Coercion Instrument against the US as “crazy” and expressed regret over the situation, attributing it to a climate of unpredictability and unnecessary aggression.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen cautioned Trump against jeopardizing transatlantic relations over Greenland, stating, “This is why the proposed additional tariffs are a mistake, especially among longstanding allies,” during her comments in Davos.
Washington turmoil challenges transatlantic alliance and post-WWII structure
Agnes Callamard, head of the global rights organization Amnesty International, urged European nations on Monday to stop “appeasing” Trump and to resist him and other “bullies” attempting to undermine the rules-based order established since World War II.
Callamard remarked that since Trump’s return to the White House a year ago, he has made “numerous decisions that have contributed to the erosion of many global regulations,” while Russia is undermining the system “through aggression in Ukraine,” as expressed in an interview with AFP in Davos.
She added that the post-WWII order is also being jeopardized by Israel,
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