European Union leaders are actively considering imposing retaliatory economic measures, including tariffs on American goods worth €93 billion, in response to former US President Donald Trump's threats against nations opposing his push to annex Greenland.
European Unity Against "Blackmail"
The crisis escalated on Sunday, 18 January, prompting top EU diplomats to convene for emergency talks. The discussions centred on reviving a previously suspended plan to levy substantial tariffs on US imports, a direct counter to what one European minister labelled Trump's "blackmail".
The leaders of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland issued a powerful joint statement, declaring: "Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. We are committed to upholding our sovereignty."
The "Big Bazooka" and Mounting Condemnation
French President Emmanuel Macron, according to reports from his team, urged fellow European leaders to be prepared to deploy the EU's most potent trade weapon: the anti-coercion instrument, colloquially known as the "big bazooka". This law, never before used, allows the bloc to impose punitive economic measures on countries attempting to force policy changes.
Condemnation from across Europe was swift. Italy's Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, stated that implementing such tariffs would be a mistake. Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel echoed the sentiment, explicitly describing Trump's threats to allies as an act of "blackmail".
Domestic and Global Repercussions
The controversy over Greenland has also ignited criticism within Trump's own Republican party. Some figures warned that the move could harm the US economically and place severe strain on the NATO military alliance.
In a separate but symbolically charged development, military personnel from the German armed forces were photographed boarding a plane departing from Nuuk, Greenland, on January 18, as the diplomatic row intensified.
Meanwhile, domestic US tensions flared. The Pentagon reportedly placed approximately 1,500 active-duty soldiers in Alaska on prepare-to-deploy orders for a potential deployment to Minnesota, where large protests against government deportation actions were occurring. Trump has threatened to use the Insurrection Act if local officials do not intervene.
Further illustrating the day's combative political climate, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was recorded warning CBS News to broadcast a forthcoming interview with Trump in full, without edits, or "we'll sue your ass off".
The growing sense of international unease was compounded by reports of embarrassment within FIFA over its decision to award Donald Trump its peace prize in December, with mid-level and senior officials reportedly uncomfortable with the honour.
