Europe Lessons from the Greenland crisis: EU wants to stand up to Trump
Following the temporary escalation of the Greenland conflict, the EU wants to focus even more strongly on independence from the USA under President Donald Trump. At a special summit in Brussels on Thursday evening, there was great relief that Trump had withdrawn his threats of punitive tariffs against Germany and other European allies for the time being. However, top politicians made it clear that there should be no "business as usual" in view of the situation.
23.01.2026, 03:57
23.01.2026, 03:58
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After around four and a half hours of deliberations, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that it was clear that we had to work ever harder for an independent Europe. "This is not something that happens overnight. This is hard work." In addition to a willingness to engage in dialog, she also cited determination, unity and preparation as crucial points in the current conflict.
Merz: EU must be able to defend itself
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Europeans must now draw conclusions and strengthen their defense capabilities and economic competitiveness. "The European Union, the European part of NATO, must be able to defend itself."
At the same time, Merz and several heads of state and government at the special EU summit continued to advocate close cooperation with Washington and, above all, the preservation of NATO. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that everything must be done to protect relations and cooperation with the United States - even if there is currently a crisis. For Poland, the United States is still absolutely the most important partner when it comes to security.
Merz also emphasized that NATO must be preserved as the "most successful political alliance that has ever existed between Europe and America". "I also have the impression that many Americans see it that way with us," he said. "You don't just give up on this transatlantic alliance."
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas said: "On the European side, we are not prepared to destroy 80 years of good relations and we are prepared to work for it." The signal to the USA must be strength.
Trump had announced punitive tariffs
The special summit was convened at the weekend after Trump announced punitive tariffs on goods from Denmark and allied countries such as Germany because they are unwilling to accept his aggressively presented claims to ownership of Greenland. Originally, the summit was to focus primarily on the question of how the EU can respond to attempts at blackmail. On Wednesday evening, Trump surprisingly defused the conflict and withdrew his announcement of punitive tariffs.
To justify his decision, he pointed out that a framework for a future agreement on Greenland and the entire Arctic region had emerged during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Many details initially remained unclear - according to information from NATO circles, however, the USA is to be allowed to expand its military presence on Greenland and possibly also be given a right to co-decide on certain investments on the Arctic island.
Good relations desired
After it had been unclear for a short time whether the special summit would take place despite these new developments, EU Council President António Costa decided to hold on to the top-level meeting and discuss the latest developments in transatlantic relations and their impact on the EU.
After the meeting, Costa said that the EU would continue to work for good relations with the United States. "The introduction of additional tariffs would have been incompatible with the EU-US trade agreement. Our focus must now be on driving forward the implementation of this agreement. The goal remains the effective stabilization of trade relations between the European Union and the US."
Merz and Macron attribute Trump's turnaround to European action
At the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Merz, among others, expressed their conviction that the actions of the Europeans in recent days were largely responsible for the developments. "If Europe reacts as one and uses the instruments at its disposal, then it can gain respect when it is threatened," said Macron. That is what has happened this week.
Macron was alluding to the fact that the EU in particular had made it clear that it would not accept the attempts at blackmail with the additional tariffs. If Trump had implemented his announcements as planned on February 1, special tariffs on US goods exports worth 93 billion euros could have been imposed as early as February 7.
The use of a new EU instrument against coercive economic measures was also under discussion. The latter could also make it possible to exclude US companies from being awarded public contracts or to impose additional duties on digital companies such as Apple, Microsoft, Google and Meta.
Denmark says thank you
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen thanked her European partners for their support in the Greenland conflict with the USA. The support had been of enormous importance in the very difficult situation in which the country had been placed. If Europe stood together and stood up for itself, the results would show. "I think we have learned something in the last few days and weeks," said Frederiksen.
