European countries punished by Trump respond that their armies in Greenland "pose no threat"
The European Union is holding an emergency meeting this afternoon to coordinate a response to the new tariffs announced by the US.
BarcelonaThe eight European countries that sent troops to Greenland stated on Sunday that the military operation on the island "poses no threat to anyone." The statement comes the day after US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday... their intention to punish them with new tariffs because of the troop movements on the Arctic island that Trump has proposed to buy. "As NATO members, we are committed to strengthening Arctic security as a shared transatlantic interest. The Danish Arctic Endurance exercise, previously coordinated and conducted with the allies, responds to this need. It poses no threat to anyone," Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Norway stated in a joint statement.
The countries against which Trump has said he will take trade reprisals have expressed their support for Denmark and the people of Greenland and have indicated their openness to "engaging in dialogue based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity." Furthermore, the signatories affirmed that they will continue to respond "in a united and coordinated manner" and remain "committed to defending their sovereignty." Using wording identical to that of yesterday's statements by the Presidents of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the European Council, António Costa, the statement from the eight also insists that "tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and carry the risk of a dangerous spiral." Backtracking on the trade agreement
Following Trump's Saturday announcement of additional 10% tariffs on European states to pressure the US into buying Greenland, the European Union has convened an extraordinary meeting this afternoon to prepare the next steps in a joint response. One of the options under consideration is freezing the approval of the trade agreement reached this summer between the European Union and the United States, as advocated by most groups in the European Parliament. "Europe is in favor of the EU-US trade agreement, but given Donald Trump's threats regarding Greenland, approval is not possible at this time," said the president of the European People's Party group, Manfred Weber, on social media Saturday evening. He added that the 10% tariffs on US goods included in the Washington-Brussels agreement "must be suspended."
