Kathmandu – The crisis in the European Union (EU) countries has deepened due to US President Donald Trump’s demand to acquire Greenland. Tensions have escalated after Trump announced new tariffs on European countries.
On Sunday, several European leaders and lawmakers, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, called on the European Union to activate its anti-pressure mechanism for the first time.
This economic mechanism of the European Union is implemented when an external power attempts to exert undue pressure on the Union. Under this, the EU can impose retaliatory tariffs, limit access to services and markets, or block foreign direct investment.Trump has announced that he will impose a 10 percent tariff on major European countries from February 1.
Trump has warned that this tariff will be increased to 25 percent if a decision is not made by June 1 on giving Greenland to the US. Due to this dispute, US-European relations have reached their worst point in history.
European countries have strongly opposed Trump’s move. According to them, such a dispute will only benefit China and Russia.
Meanwhile, Cyprus, the current president of the European Union, has called an emergency meeting of ambassadors at its headquarters in Brussels. Macron is trying to reach an agreement to unite the European response and implement a pressure mechanism.
European lawmakers have indicated that the upcoming trade deal between the US and Europe could even be stalled due to these tensions. Britain has maintained its stance of not making any compromises on the issue, while Italy has called the threat of tariffs wrong.
On Saturday, Trump announced through the social media platform ‘Truth Social’ that he would impose tariffs on eight European countries. These countries include Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland.
This dispute also threatens the future of NATO, the security alliance between the US and Europe. Trump has repeatedly said that Greenland is important to US security, that it has large mineral reserves, and that he has not ruled out the possibility of using military force to do so. He has accused European countries of playing a dangerous game.
Trump’s support for this move is low not only in Europe, but also in the US. According to a recent poll, less than 20 percent of Americans want Greenland to become part of the United States.
Some US lawmakers have also criticized Trump, saying that it will create a rift in NATO and benefit China and Russia.
Protests against Trump’s move have intensified in Denmark and Greenland. Locals are chanting that Greenland is not for sale.
Greenland’s defense and foreign policy are with Denmark, although it hosts the US’s ‘Pitufic Space Base’. Europe has argued that Greenland’s security concerns should be resolved within the framework of NATO.
Europe stands by its sovereignty and international law, while the United States sees Greenland as a security and resource-related issue. This has brought bilateral relations to their worst point in history. agency
