Europe Stands Firm Against U. S. Threats Over Greenland

The German and French finance ministers have made it clear that Europe will not back down to threats from the U.S. over Greenland. They stated that blackmailing allies is not acceptable, especially when these allies have been friends for centuries.

Emergency Meeting Planned in Brussels

An emergency meeting is planned in Brussels to discuss possible responses. One option is to impose tariffs on $107.7 billion worth of U.S. imports if the current six-month suspension ends on February 6. Another option is to use the "Anti-Coercion Instrument," which has never been used before. This tool could limit U.S. access to:

• Public tenders
• Investments
• Banking activities
• Trade in services where the U.S. has a surplus with the EU

Avoiding Escalation

The French finance minister hopes that this instrument will act as a deterrent and that the transatlantic relationship will return to being friendly and based on negotiation rather than threats. The German finance minister also expressed a desire to avoid escalation, as it would harm economies on both sides of the Atlantic.

U.S. Claims and European Response

The U.S. finance minister had suggested that European "weakness" necessitated U.S. control of Greenland for global stability. In response, the French minister emphasized the need for Europe to adopt reforms to boost its technological edge and productivity. He stated that the goal is to politely but firmly convince the U.S. that Europe is strong, not weak.