EU Warns Trump Against Escalating Greenland Dispute Ahead of Davos
Switzerland: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday pledged an “unflinching” response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats over Greenland, as Trump signalled he was prepared to hold a meeting in Davos regarding the Arctic island. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort, von der Leyen warned that Trump’s actions risked driving U.S.-EU relations into a “downward spiral” over the Danish territory’s autonomous status.
Trump, set to address the annual gathering of global elites on Wednesday, has tested the transatlantic alliance with his repeated demand to take control of Greenland. Europe is considering countermeasures after the U.S. president threatened tariffs on eight European countries over the dispute, although Washington has described any retaliatory levies as “unwise.”
“The proposed additional tariffs are a mistake, especially between long-standing allies,” von der Leyen said to the meeting of world business and political leaders.
“Plunging us into a downward spiral would only aid the very adversaries we are both so committed to keeping out of the strategic landscape. So our response will be unflinching, united and proportional,” she added.
Meanwhile, Trump continued promoting his Greenland campaign on his Truth Social platform, posting a doctored image of himself planting a U.S. flag in a rocky, icy landscape next to a sign reading: “GREENLAND – U.S. TERRITORY EST. 2026.”
He later stated that he had a “very good” call with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte regarding mineral-rich Greenland and said he had agreed to a meeting with “various parties” in Davos.
The U.S. president claimed he did not expect European leaders to “push back too much” on his plan to acquire the island, telling reporters: “They can’t protect it.”
Trump has justified the move by citing the need to protect Greenland from perceived Russian and Chinese threats, although analysts note Beijing plays only a minor role in the region.
EU leaders are set to hold an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday to discuss the Greenland issue and coordinate their response.
