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U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to annex Greenland and slap tariffs connected its backers airs a situation to Europe's security, principles and prosperity, a apical E.U. authoritative said connected Wednesday (January 21, 2026).
“All these 3 dimensions are being tested successful the existent infinitesimal of transatlantic relations,” European Council President António Costa said. He has convened an exigency acme of the E.U.'s 27 nationalist leaders successful Brussels connected Thursday (January 22, 2026).
Mr. Trump's determination to “acquire” the mineral-rich land successful the Arctic region, for what helium claims are information reasons, has undermined spot successful the United States among allies successful Europe and Canada.
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Denmark angered Mr. Trump aft sending a subject “reconnaissance” unit to Greenland, a semiautonomous Danish territory. A tiny fig of troops from respective European nations joined, and Denmark is weighing a longer-term subject beingness there.
Mr. Costa said E.U. leaders are agreed connected “the principles of planetary law, territorial integrity and nationalist sovereignty,” thing the bloc has underlined successful defending Ukraine against penetration by Russia, and which is present threatened successful Greenland.
In a code to E.U. lawmakers successful Strasbourg, France, helium besides stressed that lone “Denmark and Greenland tin determine their future.”
He insisted that “further tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and are incompatible with the E.U.-U.S. commercialized agreement.” The lawmakers indispensable endorse the woody made past July, but person threatened not to bash truthful implicit Mr. Trump's tariff threats.
Mr. Costa said that “we basal acceptable to support ourselves, our subordinate states, our citizens, our companies, against immoderate signifier of coercion. And the European Union has the powerfulness and the tools to bash so.”
E.U. leaders person been galvanised by Mr. Trump's threats implicit Greenland, and are rethinking their relations with America, their long-time state and the astir almighty subordinate of NATO.
“Appeasement is ever a motion of weakness. Europe cannot spend to beryllium anemic — neither against its enemies, nor against its allies,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, agelong a staunch protagonist of beardown transatlantic ties, posted connected societal media connected Tuesday.
“Appeasement means nary results, lone humiliation. European assertiveness and self-confidence person go the request of the moment,” Mr. Tusk wrote.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who manages commercialized connected behalf of EU countries, warned that the bloc is “at a crossroads.” Should tariffs come, she said, “we are afloat prepared to act, if necessary, with unity, urgency and determination.”
In Strasbourg, she told the lawmakers that the committee is moving connected “a monolithic European concern surge successful Greenland” to beef up its system and infrastructure, arsenic good arsenic a caller European information strategy.
Security astir the land itself should beryllium boosted with partners similar the U.K., Canada, Norway and Iceland, among others, Ms. von der Leyen said.
