LONDON: The European Council will hold an extraordinary meeting in the coming days to discuss US President Donald Trump’s plan to impose tariffs linked to Greenland, the body’s president said Sunday.
“Given the significance of recent developments and in order to further coordinate, I have decided to convene an extraordinary meeting of the European Council in the coming days,” Antonio Costa posted X, according to Anadolu Ajansi.
He said EU member states, following consultations, “reconfirm our strong commitment” to unity, international law, territorial integrity and national sovereignty, as well as solidarity with Denmark and Greenland and shared transatlantic interests in peace and security in the Arctic, notably through NATO.
Costa added that members also reaffirmed their shared assessment that tariffs “would undermine transatlantic relations and are incompatible with the EU-US trade agreement,” as well as their readiness to defend against any form of coercion and to continue engaging constructively with the US on issues of common interest.
This came after US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Washington would impose 10 per cent tariffs on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands and Finland from Feb 1, rising to 25 per cent in June, unless a deal is struck for what he called the “complete and total purchase of Greenland” by the US.
European leaders rejected the tariff threat and reiterated solidarity with Denmark.
Earlier Sunday, those eight European countries issued a joint statement denouncing the US threat and reaffirming their commitment to Arctic security as well as national sovereignty. – BERNAMA-ANADOLU
