



As divisions over Greenland grow, Europe examines its options
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. IT WAS hardly the first time since Donald Trump’s inauguration last year that Europeans have been outraged by America. But the anger at the weekend, after America’s president threatened to impose a 10% tariff rate on eight European countries that had dared to send a few troops to Greenland, felt more determined than before.
“No intimidation nor threat will influence us," thundered Emmanuel Macron, the French president, “neither in Ukraine, nor in Greenland, nor anywhere else". From Ulf Kristersson, the Swedish prime minister, to Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, politicians were indignant at America’s latest bullying. The prospect of a nominal ally using economic pressure to seize another NATO member’s sovereign territory left European leaders frantically seeking a coherent response.
They might meet as early as January 19th for an emergency summit. Europe has options, but they are limited and will be difficult to co-ordinate. The 27 members of the European Union, plus Britain, Norway, Iceland and war-torn Ukraine, need a plan they can all live with.
The initial question was whether to respond at all. Giorgia Meloni, Italy’s populist-right prime minister, called Mr Trump after his tariff threat and reported that, from the American point of view, Europe’s message on Greenland had been unclear. She seemed to suggest that Mr Trump had misinterpreted the tiny, symbolic troop deployment to Greenland.
This had been carried out at Denmark’s request and was presented as an effort to honour his requests for a stronger European military presence in the Arctic. The Italian leader termed the tariffs “a mistake". Europeans have long hoped that diplomacy could bring an end
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