EU chief von der Leyen on Trump: ‘A deal is a deal, and when friends shake hands, it must mean something’
The European Union’s top official on Tuesday called U.S. President Donald Trump’s “a mistake, especially among long-standing allies” and cast doubt on Trump’s trustworthiness, while French President Emmanuel Macron said the bloc shouldn’t hold back from using a powerful retaliatory tool.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was reacting to Trump’s declaration that a 10% import tax will be levied on goods from eight European countries starting in February—nations that have amid his growing demands for the U.S. to seize control of Denmark’s semi-autonomous territory of
“The European Union and the United States reached a trade deal last July,” Von der Leyen said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “And in politics, just like in business— a deal is a deal. And when friends shake hands, it should mean something.”
“We see the American people not just as allies, but as friends. And pushing us into a downward spiral would only help the very adversaries we’re both so dedicated to keeping out of the strategic picture,” she added.
She pledged the EU’s response “will be unwavering, united and proportional.”
Trump has maintained the U.S. needs the territory for security purposes to counter potential threats from China and Russia.
Earlier Tuesday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated America’s ties with Europe remain robust and encouraged trading partners to “take a deep breath” and allow tensions fueled by the new Greenland tariff threats to “play out.”
“I believe our relations have never been stronger,” he noted.
But Danish Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen, addressing Denmark’s parliament, said “the worst might still lie ahead.” She added, “We have never looked for conflict. We have always sought cooperation.”
Trump’s threats spark diplomatic flurry across Europe
The American leader’s threats have triggered across Europe, as leaders weigh potential countermeasures—including retaliatory tariffs and the first use of the EU’s anti-coercion tool.
The EU has three key economic levers to pressure Washington: new tariffs, suspending the U.S.-EU trade deal, and the “trade bazooka”—the informal name for the bloc’s Anti-Coercion Instrument, which can sanction individuals or entities found to exert undue pressure on the EU.
Macron said in Davos, “The anti-coercion mechanism is a powerful tool, and we shouldn’t hesitate to use it in today’s challenging climate.” He pushed back against aggressive U.S. trade pressure and “the endless pileup of new tariffs.”
Earlier Tuesday, Trump posted on social media that he’d spoken with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. He wrote, “I agreed to a meeting of the various parties in Davos, Switzerland.”
France’s Macron suggests G-7 meeting in Paris this week
Trump also shared a text message from where the French president proposed a meeting of Group of Seven (G7) industrialized democracy members in Paris after the Davos event. An official close to Macron—speaking anonymously per the French presidency’s usual protocol—confirmed the message Trump shared is authentic.
Later, Trump posted several provocatively altered images. One depicted him planting the U.S. flag beside a sign that read “Greenland, U.S. Territory, Est. 2026.” Another showed Trump in the Oval Office next to a map where Greenland and Canada were covered with the U.S. Stars and Stripes.
In a sign of rising tensions in recent days, protested over the weekend against any attempt to take over their island.
In his latest tariff threat, Trump suggested the import taxes would retaliate for last week’s deployment of a symbolic number of to Greenland—though he also implied he’s using the tariffs as leverage to negotiate with Denmark.
Calls for a stronger Europe against Trump’s threats
Denmark’s European affairs minister labeled Trump’s tariff threats “deeply unfair.” He said Europe needs to grow even stronger and more independent, while emphasizing there’s “no interest in escalating a trade war.”
“You just have to recognize we’re on the brink of a new world order where power, unfortunately, has become critical—and we see a United States with extremely condescending rhetoric toward Europe,” Marie Bjerre told Danish public broadcaster DK on Tuesday.
Speaking on the sidelines of Davos, California Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized Europe’s response to Trump’s tariff threats as “pathetic” and “embarrassing,” urging European leaders to unite and stand up to the U.S.
“It’s time to get serious and stop being complicit,” Newsom told reporters. “It’s time to stand tall and firm—have a backbone.”
On Monday night, Greenland’s European supporters explored establishing a more permanent military presence in the High North to help ensure Arctic security—a key U.S. demand, Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson said.
Jonson said after meeting with his Danish, Greenlandic and Norwegian counterparts that European NATO members are currently “conducting what’s called a reconnaissance tour to identify needs related to infrastructure, exercises and so on.”
In Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov firmly denied that Russia or China intend to threaten Greenland, while also calling Greenland a “colonial acquisition” for Denmark. At a news conference, he stated, “In principle, Greenland isn’t a natural part of Denmark.”
US-UK tensions over Chagos Islands
In another sign of allied tension, the British government defended its decision Tuesday to transfer sovereignty of the to Mauritius after Trump criticized the plan—one his administration previously backed.
Trump called relinquishing the remote Indian Ocean archipelago—home to a strategically vital U.S. naval and bomber base—an act of stupidity that demonstrates why he needs to .
In a Tuesday speech to lawmakers in Britain’s Parliament, U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said he aims to “calm the waters” as Trump disrupts the transatlantic relationship with his desire to take over Greenland.
Johnson stated the U.S. and U.K. “have always been able to work through our differences calmly, as friends. We’ll keep doing that.”
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AP writers Sylvie Corbet in Paris, Jill Lawless in London, Lorne Cook in Brussels, and Elaine Kurtenbach in Bangkok contributed to this report.