European Union leaders breathed a sigh of relief over Donald Trump's U-turn on Greenland as they gathered for an emergency summit in Brussels tonight, but said Europe's relationship with Washington, while still crucial, had suffered a blow.
The meeting was called before Trump backed down from threats to impose tariffs or even take military action to take over Greenland. His threats have seriously shaken Europe's trust in its partners, Reuters reports.
"Transatlantic relations have definitely suffered a major blow over the past week," EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said upon arriving at the meeting.
"The situation is calming down and we should welcome that," said French President Emmanuel Macron, describing the chaos of recent days in which Trump made major threats to Greenland and Europe, only to back down, stating that a deal was in sight.
"We remain extremely vigilant and ready to use the instruments at our disposal if we are again the target of threats," Macron told reporters, alluding to the "bazooka" trade sanctions the bloc was considering.
Most leaders said that the relationship with the United States remains of crucial importance to the European Union and that they are ready to make an effort to maintain it - but that they expect effort and respect from Washington as well.
"Europe is not ready to throw away 80 years of good transatlantic relations because of disagreements... we are ready to invest time and energy in it," said Kallas.
EU governments remain wary of the possibility that the unpredictable president could change his mind again, and increasingly see him as a bully that Europe will have to confront. They are focused on devising a longer-term plan for how to deal with the US under this administration, and possibly its successors.
"Trump has crossed the Rubicon. He may do it again. There is no going back to what was. And leaders will talk about it," said one EU diplomat, adding that the bloc needs to move away from heavy dependence on the US in many areas.
"We have to try to keep him (Trump) close, while at the same time working to become more independent from the US. It's a process, probably a long one."
After decades of relying on Washington for defense within the NATO alliance, the Union lacks the necessary intelligence, transportation, missile defense, and manufacturing capabilities to defend itself against a possible Russian attack.
This gives the US significant leverage.
The US is also Europe's largest trading partner, making the EU vulnerable to Trump's policy of imposing tariffs to reduce Washington's trade deficit in goods and, as in the case of Greenland, to achieve other goals.
One of the key questions will be how close Europeans want to stay to the United States and how much trust is left. Everyone says that Europeans need to be united and have a common position, but historical ties vary from country to country.
"I still see the United States as our closest friend," said Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda.
Others were more cautious.
“It is important that … our partners in Washington understand the difference between dominance and leadership. Leadership is fine,” said Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. “Coercion is not a good method.”
The EU was prepared to impose a package of retaliatory tariffs on 93 billion euros ($108,74 billion) of US imports and anti-coercive measures if Trump moved to implement his own tariffs, which were set to take effect on February 1, officials said.
In protest against US pressure to take over Greenland, the European Parliament on Wednesday put on hold work on ratifying the US-EU trade agreement, reached in mid-2025.
However, European lawmakers are likely to continue working on ratifying the agreement now that Trump has withdrawn his threats, European Parliament President Roberta Mezzola said on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, senior MP Bernd Lange said parliament still needed clarity on the US plans.
"Nobody knows what this so-called solution is," German Social Democrat Lange told Reuters.
"We need a clear 'yes' from both Denmark and Greenland. It can't just be an agreement between two people."
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