The European Union is preparing a coordinated response to tariff threats issued by United States President Donald Trump, following his warning that European countries could face steep trade penalties over their opposition to US ambitions concerning Greenland.
Germany’s Vice Chancellor and Finance Minister, Lars Klingbeil, said on Monday that Europe would not yield to what he described as political and economic pressure from Washington. Speaking at a press conference in Berlin alongside France’s Economy and Finance Minister, Roland Lescure, Klingbeil said the bloc was already working with partners on retaliatory steps.
“We will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed,” Klingbeil said, stressing that Europe would respond firmly and collectively. He added that preparations for countermeasures were underway across the EU.
Trump had declared on Saturday that European nations, including Denmark — which administers Greenland as an autonomous territory — could be subjected to tariffs of up to 25 per cent unless the island is ceded to the United States. The comments triggered swift backlash across Europe.
Denmark, Britain, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden issued a joint statement over the weekend rejecting the threat and reaffirming their position on Greenland’s status.
Outlining Europe’s potential response, Klingbeil said the EU was considering three main options. These include suspending the current tariff agreement with the United States, activating European tariffs on US imports that had been temporarily paused until early February, and deploying the EU’s broader legal and economic instruments designed to counter what he termed “economic blackmail.”
French minister Roland Lescure echoed the criticism, describing Trump’s remarks as unacceptable, particularly between long-standing allies.
“Blackmail between allies of 250 years, blackmail between friends, is obviously unacceptable,” Lescure said. He added that European countries must remain united, coordinated and ready to use all available EU mechanisms to defend their sovereignty.
Lescure also announced that a meeting of G7 finance ministers would be convened in the coming days to address key global concerns, including the Greenland issue. France currently holds the rotating chairmanship of the G7, of which the United States is also a member.
Klingbeil warned that patience in Europe was wearing thin. “The limit has been reached,” he said, accusing Trump of repeatedly provoking confrontations with allies.
Meanwhile, tensions surrounding Greenland spilled into the cultural sphere after the island’s dogsled federation announced that a newly appointed US special envoy had been disinvited from attending its annual race.
The Greenlandic Dogsled Federation (KNQK) said a private tourism company had withdrawn its invitation to Jeff Landry, the new US envoy to the Arctic territory, after criticism that the invitation was inappropriate given the political climate.
“This is reassuring,” the federation said in a statement posted on Facebook.
The development follows a similar controversy last year, when Usha Vance, wife of US Vice President JD Vance, cancelled plans to attend the same event amid strong opposition in Denmark. That visit was later replaced by a trip involving JD Vance and a US delegation to the Pituffik military base in northwestern Greenland.
The incidents underline growing diplomatic strains between the United States and its European allies as tensions over Greenland continue to escalate.
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