By euronews with AP
Published on
The UK, Denmark, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden have issued a joint statement saying Trump’s Greenland threat risks a “dangerous downward spiral” and undermines transatlantic relations.
The NATO members then went on to say that they stand in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland and are ready to engage in a dialogue based on the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Italy’s Prime MInister Giorgia Meloni, considered as one of Donald Trump’s closest allies in the EU, has called the threatened tariffs a ‘mistake’ and added that she had spoken with the US president on the the telephone.
French President Emmanuel Macron wrote on social media that “no intimidation or threats will influence us, whether in Ukraine, Greenland or anywhere else in the world when we are faced with such situations.” He added that “tariff threats are unacceptable and have no place in this context.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in an interview a US invasion of Greenland would make Putin “the happiest man on earth.” He explained that any military action by the US against Denmark’s would damage NATO and legitimize the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said China and Russia will benefit from divisions between the U.S. and Europe. She added in a post on social media: “If Greenland’s security is at risk, we can address this inside NATO. Tariffs risk making Europe and the United States poorer and undermine our shared prosperity.”
U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the tariffs announcement was “completely wrong” and his government would “be pursuing this directly with the U.S. administration.”
Resistance also from Republican lawmakers
Meanwhile in the US, Republican lawmakers are scrambling to contain the president’s threat of taking possession of Greenland, with some showing the most strident opposition to almost anything the Trump administration has done since taking office.
They gave floor speeches on the importance of NATO last week. They introduced bills meant to prevent the U.S. from attacking Denmark. And several travelled to Copenhagen to meet with Danish counterparts.
“When the most powerful military nation on earth threatens your territory through its president over and over and over again, you start to take it seriously,” Senator Chris Coons told The Associated Press.