INTERNATIONAL
EU committed to Denmark, Greenland sovereignty
European Council President Antonio Costa says EU members stand ready to resist any coercion while keeping constructive dialogue with the United States. - REUTERS/Filepic
EUROPEAN Council President Antonio Costa said on Sunday (January 18) he had decided to convene an extraordinary summit of European Union leaders in the coming days to discuss the bloc's response to U.S.
AI Brief
Costa's statement comes as European Union ambassadors reached broad agreement on Sunday to intensify efforts to dissuade U.S. President Donald Trump from imposing tariffs on European allies from February 1 over Greenland, but also to prepare retaliatory measures should the duties go ahead, EU diplomats said.
Costa, who chairs EU summits, said in a social media post that his consultations with EU members had shown their strong commitment to support Denmark and Greenland and readiness to defend against any form of coercion, while continuing to engage constructively with the United States.
An EU official said the summit was likely to be held in-person on Thursday.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday the EU and Britain stand firm in their commitment to uphold the sovereignty of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark.
Von der Leyen in a post on X said she had discussed the developments around Greenland with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
"We will always protect our strategic economic and security interests," she said.
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AI Brief
- EU ambassadors agree to intensify efforts to stop Trump's Feb 1 tariff threat while simultaneously preparing retaliatory measures.
- Council President Costa says EU members are committed to backing Denmark and Greenland against coercion while keeping dialogue open with the US.
- Von der Leyen says the EU and UK remain firm on defending Greenland's sovereignty after calls with top NATO and European leaders.
Costa's statement comes as European Union ambassadors reached broad agreement on Sunday to intensify efforts to dissuade U.S. President Donald Trump from imposing tariffs on European allies from February 1 over Greenland, but also to prepare retaliatory measures should the duties go ahead, EU diplomats said.
Costa, who chairs EU summits, said in a social media post that his consultations with EU members had shown their strong commitment to support Denmark and Greenland and readiness to defend against any form of coercion, while continuing to engage constructively with the United States.
An EU official said the summit was likely to be held in-person on Thursday.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday the EU and Britain stand firm in their commitment to uphold the sovereignty of Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark.
Von der Leyen in a post on X said she had discussed the developments around Greenland with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
"We will always protect our strategic economic and security interests," she said.
Your gateway to global news, insights, and stories that matter.