As U.S. President Donald Trump played the "tariff card" against eight European countries opposing the United States' intention to annex Greenland, governments around the world, including the European Union (EU), immediately issued critical statements and expressed their determination to respond.
On the 17th (local time), Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, stated, "The EU expresses its full solidarity with the people of Denmark and Greenland," adding, "Tariffs could damage transatlantic relations and trigger a dangerous vicious cycle."
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, "Greenland is part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and its future is a matter for the people of Greenland and Denmark," adding, "It is completely wrong to impose tariffs on an ally under the pretext of pursuing collective security within NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization)."
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, in an interview with a local newspaper, argued that the U.S. "invasion" of Greenland would serve to justify Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion attempt in Ukraine, and would make President Putin "the happiest man in the world."
French President Emmanuel Macron, also drawing a comparison between President Trump's threats and President Putin's invasion of Ukraine, wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "Whether in Ukraine, Greenland, or anywhere else, we will not yield to any threats or intimidation," adding, "European countries will respond in a united and coordinated manner if the tariff threats become reality."
German leadership showed a cautious response, but some voices in parliament called for a boycott of next year's North and Central America World Cup. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, through his spokesperson, said he was aware of President Trump's remarks and would determine an appropriate response in consultation with allies at the right time. In addition, Juergen Hardt, foreign policy spokesperson for Chancellor Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), suggested that a World Cup boycott could be considered as "a last resort to change President Trump's mind on the Greenland issue," according to the British daily The Guardian.
European countries plan to seek joint response measures against the U.S. tariff threats. An emergency meeting convened by Cyprus, which holds the EU presidency, will be held in Brussels, Belgium, at 5 p.m. local time on the 18th.
President Trump, who has repeatedly expressed his intention to annex Greenland, a Danish territory, announced that the United States would impose a 10% tariff on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland starting from the 1st of next month, and a 25% tariff from June 1.
On this day, President Trump announced his intention to impose tariffs on the social media platform Truth Social, stating, "Countries playing a very dangerous game have caused risks that are unaffordable and unsustainable." Recently, as the United States raised the possibility of military action in its bid to purchase Greenland, Denmark and these countries, as stakeholders, have dispatched troops to Greenland.
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