Leaders of European Union member states will meet on Thursday evening at an extraordinary summit in Brussels to discuss US President Donald Trump's threats regarding Greenland. The date was confirmed by the spokesperson for European Council President António Costa.
The summit will begin at 7 p.m., and heads of government and presidents will attend in person. Costa announced the summit on Sunday, January 18, after consulting with representatives of member states on the latest developments regarding Greenland.
"Given the significance of recent events and with a view to further coordination, I have decided to convene an extraordinary meeting of the European Council in the coming days," Costa said. According to him, the talks confirmed agreement on the principles of international law, territorial integrity, and national sovereignty.
The EU also agreed to support Denmark and Greenland and to pursue a common transatlantic interest in peace and security in the Arctic. Costa stressed that this goal should be achieved primarily through cooperation within NATO.
In his statement, the President of the European Council warned that Trump's announced tariffs would "undermine transatlantic relations and are incompatible with the EU-US trade agreement." According to him, the Union is prepared to defend itself against any form of pressure, but at the same time wants to continue constructive cooperation with Washington on issues of common interest.
The European Commission has called an extraordinary meeting of European Commissioners for Friday, January 23, at 9:00 a.m. According to three EU officials cited by Politico, the meeting will also follow up on the results of Thursday's extraordinary European Council summit.
On Saturday, January 17, Trump threatened to impose a 10% import tariff on eight European countries—Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland—starting February 1. According to him, the measure will remain in place until the issue of Greenland's acquisition by the United States is resolved, with the rate potentially increasing to 25 percent from June 1.
(politico, lud)