Europe Takes a Hard Line as Trump Targets Greenland
Something in Europe has snapped. Donald Trump doubled down again on Monday, in his insistence that the US needs Greenland for national security reasons.
Is he prepared to use force to seize it, journalists asked him? No comment, said the president, sending chills down the spine of Greenland's anxious inhabitants. Again.
Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark - a member of the EU and of Nato. President Trump is now leaning heavily on Denmark's allies in both those organisations to abandon Copenhagen and let the US take control of Greenland, or face punitive taxes on all their exports to the United States.
It's a horror scenario for European economies, which are already in the doldrums. Especially those reliant on exporting to the US, like Germany's car industry and Italy's luxury goods market.
On Monday Germany's finance minister said, we will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed after an emergency meeting with his French counterpart.
The Trump threats landed like a slap in the face of European governments, who had only just settled tariff deals with the US president last year.
We're living through uncharted territories. We've never seen this before. An ally, a friend of 250 years, is considering using tariffs… as a geopolitical weapon, said France's Finance Minister Roland Lescure.
His German counterpart Lars Klingbeil added: A line has been crossed... You'll understand that today I'm not saying exactly what will happen. But one thing must be clear: Europe must be prepared.
All of a sudden, the softly-softly approach to Trump, that Europe's leaders had clearly favored since he returned for a second term to the White House, seems to have passed its sell-by date.
Europe's good cop, bad cop approach
It's too early to read the last rites on transatlantic relations altogether but the EU, at least, is hoping to approach the US president in Switzerland this Wednesday at the Global Economic Forum speaking softly, while carrying a big stick to paraphrase a former US president.
European leaders have told President Trump they'll support him in prioritising Arctic security, indicating that there's no need for him to go it alone over Greenland.
At the same time, EU diplomats have let it be known they're considering imposing €93 billion (£80 billion) worth of tariffs on US goods or even restricting access to the bloc's market for American businesses if Trump goes ahead with his Greenland tariffs.
Trust in US security guarantees
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent meanwhile expressed skepticism about European retaliation, saying that it's unwise. He painted a picture of a president determined to view Greenland as a strategic asset.
European officials, though concerned about the potential fallout on consumer prices and market relations, acknowledge a pressing need to respond.
If European nations maintain a position of passivity in the face of Trump’s antagonism, they may risk weakening their own sovereignty and commitment to allied powers.
Ultimately, Europe needs to demonstrate solidarity while planning its next moves strategically. As the international landscape evolves and relationships stretch, leaders like UK's Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasize the importance of supporting the US to maintain deterrence strategies.
Tensions regarding Greenland serve as a reflection of larger geopolitical undercurrents shaping the future of transatlantic relations.
