The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has increased the tariff on eight European countries by 10 percent. The measure was taken after differences in opinion about the ownership of Greenland and the US being there militarily. The European Union leaders strongly reacted to the news and one of their reactions was the organization of protests in both Greenland and Denmark.
The Reaction of European Heads of State
- British PM, Keir Starmer, considered the American action wrong and pointed out that it was no way an acceptable to threaten NATO countries on the matter of Greenland. He went on to say that the problem would be solved with the US administration. The reaction of the President of France, Emmanuel Macron was that the threat of taxes is not acceptable and that it is not going to give in to pressure.
- The Head of the EU Foreign Policy, Kaja Kallas, pointed out that both China and Russia were benefiting from the disagreements among the allied countries. The Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson said that the European nations could not be made to pay by threats. The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, also stated that the EU has always been on the side of law and justice. Danish Foreign Minister, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, framed the tariffs as an unanticipated move.
Security and Military Deployment
Trump has repeatedly claimed that Greenland is of great strategic importance for the US and America's interest in the region that is under Denmark control. The European countries gave their backing to Denmark, contending that the security of Greenland is a joint obligation of NATO. In the course of the announcement, France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, and Britain took a step further by enhancing their military presence in the area.
Impact of the Tariffs
The tariffs target Denmark and seven other European countries. Leaders warned that such measures could harm relations between the US and Europe. The European Union emphasized unity and maintaining international law in response to the US decision.
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