Von der Leyen warns Trump that the EU will respond with "proportionality" if he raises tariffs on Greenland

BrusselsUrsula von der Leyen insists that the United States is not only an "ally" of the European Union, but even a "friend," and has affirmed that her priority is preserving transatlantic relations. However, the President of the European Commission, who is one of the EU leaders most lukewarm in her stance toward Donald Trump, also sets limits on the US president's actions regarding her own. constant threats against GreenlandThe head of the European Commission strongly defended Denmark's "sovereignty" and warned that the EU does not intend to back down in the face of the Pentagon's intentions to seize the Arctic island, even if it means restarting the trade war between the two powers.Our response will be firm."Unitary and proportional," Von der Leyen warned on Tuesday in an appearance at the Davos Forum.

The President of the European Commission recalled that Brussels and Washington had already signed a trade agreement last summerAnd she criticized the United States for now threatening to break the agreement. "A pact is a pact. And when friends shake hands, it means something," the German leader retorted, calling the additional tariffs Trump wants to impose a "mistake." Aside from the tariffs, Von der Leyen has stood shoulder to shoulder with Greenland and insisted that "the sovereignty and integrity [of the Kingdom of Denmark] are non-negotiable." Furthermore, the President of the European Commission has once again extended an olive branch to the United States to "work" together. for the safety of the Arcticwhich is what theoretically worries Trump, and she has said she is working on new EU investments in the island. "Clearly, it is a common interest," the head of the European Commission emphasized.

Despite Von der Leyen's warnings to Trump, the President of the European Commission has not yet announced what countermeasure she will propose at the summit of European leaders that has been urgently convened for Thursday in Brussels. The option with the most support among member states is to recover tariffs on US products worth 93 billion euros, which the EU prepared at the start of the trade war in case it failed to reach an agreement with the US.

Von der Leyen advocates for the "independence" of Europe

In the midst of the transatlantic crisis, Von der Leyen insisted that Europe must achieve, once and for all, "independence" from Russia and China, but also from the United States. "Europe must accelerate its path toward military, economic, and democratic independence. The fact is that the world has changed forever, and we must change with it," the President of the European Commission emphasized. The German leader, however, focused primarily on the lack of military autonomy and, therefore, the European bloc's dependence on the Pentagon in the field of security since the end of World War II. Von der Leyen welcomed the fact that Europeans' mindset in this regard has changed in recent times—both due to Trump and Vladimir Putin—and asserted that the EU has accomplished more in this area "in one year than in decades."

The head of the European Commission has defended the major rearmament plan launched by Brussels, which aims mobilize 800 billion euros in four yearsShe indicated that the European Commission will present a new military strategy later this year, intended to pave the way for greater European autonomy. However, the dependence of European allies on the US remains significant, and, for example, Von der Leyen hopes to "work closely" with the White House on Ukraine's security and a potential peace agreement. In this context of a crisis in transatlantic relations, as well as the rupture with Russia and the growing threat posed by China, the European Union is focused on finding alternative and reliable trade partners. In this regard, the President of the European Commission highlighted the Mercosur agreement, which she signed this past Saturday in Paraguay, and reiterated the EU's intention to sign another trade agreement. "There is still work to be done. But we are on the verge of a historic trade agreement. Some consider it the mother of all agreements," said Von der Leyen, who emphasized that it will create a joint market of 2 billion people. Both sides have been optimistic about a potential agreement for days, and they expect to make significant progress in the negotiations at the EU-India summit in New Delhi on January 27.