Grenland: Europe Takes a Firm Stand, Trump Makes a Temporary Concession

The European Union will hold a special summit in Brussels on the evening of the 22nd. The core topic is the repeated threats by U.S. President Trump against Greenland, which is under the sovereignty of Denmark, as well as his threats of trade war against European allies. However, just hours before, the U.S. president who had previously insisted on his claim to Greenland suddenly changed his stance, stating that he had reached a framework of consensus with NATO Secretary General Rasmussen. Although the specific details of this consensus framework remain unknown, neither Trump nor Rasmussen provided clear information on it. Nevertheless, the tense relationship between the U.S. and Europe that unfolded at the World Economic Forum in Davos seems to have temporarily eased. The firmness shown by European countries should have forced Trump to at least temporarily retreat.

It can be said that since Trump returned to the White House a year ago, Europe has been facing a survival crisis. On one hand, Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine poses a threat to European security. On the other hand, the transatlantic partnership established after World War II is waning. This partnership not only refers to the security alliance centered around the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), but also involves mutual cooperation within the post-World War II international order based on shared values. However, since Trump took office on January 20th last year, he has not only continued the strategy of pressuring NATO European allies from his first term, but also, on the issue of the Ukraine war, ignored the fact that Ukraine was invaded and attempted to negotiate separately with the Putin regime without involving European partners and Ukraine. Later, he repeatedly vowed to take over Greenland, which is under the sovereignty of the Kingdom of Denmark. Not to mention the tariff wars, Trump has been unyielding towards Europe, and his government officials have not hesitated to constantly criticize and belittle the domestic politics of European allies.

The confrontation between European allies and the U.S. president over the sovereignty of Greenland at the World Economic Forum in Davos marks a shift in Europe's position from compromising to firmness under pressure.

Certainly, in response to the Trump administration's attempt to negotiate directly with the Putin regime on how to end the Ukraine war, European allies of Ukraine have discreetly engaged with the Trump administration, striving to protect Ukraine's interests while also returning themselves to the negotiating table. In the context of NATO, European allies greeted Trump's high-profile attendance at the NATO summit with a smile, showing their commitment to significantly increasing defense spending. In response to Trump's tariff war, the EU struggled hard and finally reached a trade agreement with the U.S. in July last year. The smile on the face of the President of the European Commission, von der Leyen, who signed the agreement, was criticized by some media as "obsequious," suggesting that the EU did not stand up firmly against Trump's trade war threats like China did. Overall, although European countries generally realized the security crisis, they recognized that the American umbrella was no longer reliable and needed to strengthen their own defense capabilities. However, due to the fact that Europe is not yet fully prepared to completely break away from its dependence on the U.S. for security, it has had to lower its stance and use diplomatic means to strive for space and protect its interests.

However, in the case of the Greenland issue, the subtle strategies of Europe clearly could not cope with Trump's resolute and increasingly intensified pressure. Efforts by Europe to use diplomatic negotiations to change Trump's position were met with Trump's explicit tariff threats. Trump even threatened to use force to achieve his goals. After the U.S. military's sudden raid to arrest the Venezuelan President Maduro, Trump seemed to believe more than ever that his strong posture would make any country submit. But Trump also finally admitted that he had not expected such strong resistance from European countries.

Certainly, after the Danish foreign minister and the foreign minister of the self-governing government of Greenland failed to reach an agreement in Washington, the support for Denmark and the people of Greenland by Europe not only increased in intensity but also became concrete actions. The EU not only decided to increase investment in Greenland, but France, Germany, and the UK also decided to participate in joint military exercises in Greenland. Although the number of participants in the exercises is small, the symbolic meaning goes far beyond demonstrating the ability of Europe and NATO to protect the security of Greenland. Launching the EU's originally formulated anti-economic coercion law may also become a measure option to respond to Trump's tariff threats.

At the same time, French President Macron clearly stated at the Davos Forum: "We recognize the rule of law, respect each other, oppose crude actions, and will not submit to the rule of the strong." The French Minister of Economy said regarding Trump's tariff threats: "What's coming will come." Facing Trump, we need to be vigilant and resolute. If German Chancellor Merkel's attitude was somewhat ambiguous and she hoped to avoid escalating tensions with the U.S. on the tariff issue, then British Prime Minister Starmer clearly stated that he would not yield to Trump's pressure. EU Commission President von der Leyen also called in Strasbourg for Europe to abandon its traditional cautious strategy when facing brutal power. She said that dialogue remains Europe's preferred approach, but Europe must be prepared to unite and take action when necessary to demonstrate its determination.

Although Trump made a temporary concession on the Greenland issue, the tension surrounding this issue is undoubtedly another blow to the U.S.-European alliance. EU member states are not blindly optimistic about the consensus framework reached by Trump and NATO Secretary General Rasmussen, and have maintained their scheduled special summit on the evening of the 22nd to find strategies to deal with the fickle Trump.

Source: rfi

Original: toutiao.com/article/1855042168121356/

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