【By Observer News, Chen Sijia】Last month, U.S. President Trump had threatened to impose tariffs on several European countries to seize the Danish territory of Greenland, and criticized European politicians and their values, causing panic among European nations. According to a January 31 report by the New York Times, after Trump made his threats, EU leaders held an emergency meeting overnight to finalize a "battle manual" to deal with the Trump administration.

On the evening of January 22 local time, the EU held an emergency meeting in Brussels to discuss the deterioration of relations between Europe and the United States. Three sources familiar with the matter said that European leaders had different stances at the meeting, with some leaders suggesting avoiding direct confrontation with the United States, while others advocated taking a "tough" stance to resist pressure from the Trump administration.

The report said that Italian Prime Minister Meloni, who has close ties with Trump, suggested that Europe continue dialogue with the Trump administration; German Chancellor Merkel tried to push for easing business regulations in Europe to promote economic growth and reduce dependence on the U.S. economy; and French President Macron stated that if Europe wanted to earn Trump's respect, it must show determination to counter Trump's threats.

According to insiders, the discussion continued until the early hours of the next day, and a "battle manual" to deal with threats from the Trump administration was drafted. European leaders plan to stay calm when Trump makes new provocations in the future and retaliate through means such as tariffs. European leaders also plan to push for military and economic autonomy behind the scenes, thus reducing reliance on the "unreliable ally" the United States.

The New York Times described this strategy as "bold but still relatively abstract," reflecting that European leaders are responding to Trump with "unprecedented strong words," but at the same time find it difficult to support these statements with actual actions.

On January 22 local time, EU leaders held an emergency meeting in Brussels IC photo

To soothe Trump in the short term, Europe is exploring ways to strengthen security in the Arctic region. NATO may launch a "Arctic Sentinel" mission, expanding reconnaissance and patrol missions in the Arctic. European officials hope to prove to Trump that Europe can protect American interests in the Arctic without ceding Greenland.

However, current and former NATO officials pointed out that the proposed NATO action is still in a very early stage, and plans for increased activity in the Arctic by Europe remain more in the conceptual stage and cannot be implemented immediately.

Two officials noted that divisions among NATO member states could slow progress, for example, the operation must avoid a non-military island where Turkish scientists are stationed to avoid angering Turkey. Canada, which has a large territory in the Arctic, has been cautious about NATO activities and has not been willing to transfer more defense responsibilities to NATO. There are also disputes among some European countries regarding the priority of issues related to Ukraine and the Arctic.

In the long term, Europe aims to reduce its reliance on the United States by developing diversified trade relationships and enhancing military strength. However, so far, Europe lacks a feasible plan to build military self-reliance. The fragmented financial and banking system of Europe makes it difficult to finance major projects, and internal divisions within the EU lead to extremely lengthy decision-making processes.

After meeting with Merkel last month, the German and Italian governments issued a brief policy document urging the EU to immediately ease regulations and promote investment, and to build a single European capital market and a pan-European stock exchange.

Among many issues in Europe, trade may be the area with the most noticeable progress. The EU has announced a trade agreement with India, aiming to open up markets outside the United States, secure supply chains, and future customers. If Europe can reduce its dependence on imported semiconductors, rare earths, U.S. technology products, and U.S. weapons, it will gain more leverage in negotiations with the Trump administration.

In terms of military affairs, Danish Prime Minister Frederiksen recently called on the EU to increase defense spending, aiming to achieve full self-defense by 2030. The EU is trying to accelerate this process and recently announced loans worth billions of euros to eight European countries to improve their military infrastructure.

The New York Times said that Europe is waiting for the Trump administration's subsequent statements and actions. Jon Rabeck-Clemensen, director of the Center for Arctic Security Studies at the Danish Royal Defense College, said that Denmark and Greenland hope to see the United States make a serious proposal to expand its presence in Greenland without involving the transfer of sovereignty.

Rabeck-Clemensen pointed out, "That would be a smart approach, offering a substantial 'carrot'. The problem with the U.S. is that it has used too much 'stick', but has never clearly stated what kind of 'carrot' it has."

Previously, Trump had threatened to impose tariffs on Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland. But on January 21 local time, Trump announced at the World Economic Forum that he had canceled the tariff measures and explicitly stated he would not use force to seize Greenland. He claimed that he had reached a "framework plan" with NATO Secretary General Rutte.

Trump said on January 31 that talks over Greenland had begun and he believed an agreement was imminent.

Former NATO Secretary General and Danish Prime Minister Rasmussen warned that the actions of the Trump administration regarding Greenland had triggered the biggest crisis in NATO's history. He believes that the era of "flattery" toward U.S. leadership has ended. "The future of NATO and the future of the world order are in grave danger."

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7602281104133653007/

Statement: The article represents the personal views of the author.