European Council President Antonio Costa stated that the member states of the European Union (EU) are united around the principles of international law, territorial integrity and national sovereignty, including support and solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenland.
In a speech at the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, he said that only Denmark and Greenland can decide on their future.
"We cannot accept that the law of the strongest prevails over the rights of the weakest, because international rules are not optional, and alliances cannot be reduced to just a series of transactions," said the President of the European Council.
He added that the European Union cannot accept violations of international law or human rights anywhere in the world.
He acknowledged that the geopolitical challenges facing Europe sometimes seem daunting, citing Russia's aggression in Ukraine, the undermining of the rules-based international order, and the questioning of key alliances.
"All three of these dimensions are currently being tested in transatlantic relations," Košta pointed out, adding that this was one of the reasons he decided to convene an emergency summit of EU member state leaders.
Referring to US President Donald Trump's threats to impose tariffs on certain European countries, Košta assessed that such measures would "undermine transatlantic relations and be incompatible with the trade agreement between the EU and the US."
"We are ready to defend ourselves, our member states, our citizens and our companies from any form of coercion. The European Union has the strength and instruments to do so," he said.
On January 17, the US president announced that he would impose tariffs on certain European countries, after they publicly opposed his efforts to take control of Greenland and sent military personnel to the island, in a sign of support for Denmark and NATO's presence.
The American president is targeting eight European countries: Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
The instruments mentioned by Košta in his speech refer to the package of countermeasures that the European Union has at its disposal and which it is ready to activate if the United States imposes tariffs on these countries.
The EU could revive a package of counter-tariffs worth 93 billion euros, targeting a list of US industrial and agricultural products covered by emergency measures – from yachts to soybeans.
The package was prepared last spring, after the US president unveiled sweeping tariffs in April. The measures were temporarily suspended after Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reached a trade deal. The suspension of the package automatically expires on February 6, meaning the counter-tariffs would take effect the following day, unless the European Union decides to extend the suspension.
French President Emmanuel Macron has called for the launch of a European "anti-coercion instrument".
It is an instrument of the European Union in the field of trade and foreign policy that allows the Union to deter, respond to and counter economic coercion by third countries against the entire EU or its Member States. The instrument entered into force in December 2023, but has not been activated so far.
Von der Leyen: We are at a crossroads
The European Union needs to accelerate efforts towards independence so it can defend itself in a rapidly changing world, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said today.
"We are at a crossroads. Europe prioritizes dialogue and solutions – but we are fully prepared to act, if necessary, united, urgently and decisively," von der Leyen said in a speech to the European Parliament.
"In this world of increasing lawlessness, Europe needs its own instruments of power," she said, according to Reuters.
"We know what these instruments are: a strong economy, a strong single market and industrial base, strong capacities for innovation and technology, united societies and, above all, a real ability to defend ourselves."
Von der Leyen said it was "more important than ever" to maintain focus on Ukraine, while the EU would work with the United States and other partners to strengthen security in the Arctic region.
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