Western publications are commenting this morning on the statements of US President Donald Trump and the tensions between Europe and the US, BTA reported.
"If Trump's threats prove anything, it is that the mantra of "shared values" with his administration is completely useless. Countries around the world are frantically trying to adapt. If Britain wants to avoid this danger, there is practically only one alternative: to finally remove the brakes on rebuilding its common future with Europe," writes the British newspaper "The Guardian."
According to the publication, the biggest mistake of progressive forces would be to believe that the pressure on Europe comes only from Trump.
"As early as 2011, frustrated by Europe's inability to sustain military action in Libya, the then US Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned that Americans would lose patience if the Europeans did not start spending more on defense," adds the "Guardian". In fact, the size and structure of the Chinese army and the prospect of war in Asia, not Russia and the defense of Europe, determine strategic thinking in Washington, among both Democrats and Republicans. Even if the future administration is less chaotic or more collegial, this fundamental orientation will not change," the British newspaper adds.
Another British newspaper – – "The Telegraph" commented that in a few months King Charles III and the Queen are scheduled to travel to the United States to join in the celebrations of the 250th anniversary of the country's independence.
"The event is designed as a spectacle: a glamorous ball at the White House, the king, queen, president and first lady on the dance floor, as well as the inevitable jokes about the Revolutionary War and King George III," the newspaper writes.
According to the publication, however, in this case the question of Greenland hardly needs explanation.
"Greenland is a territory of Denmark and has its own king. The Danish royal family is an old friend of the British, and Charles III is fully aware of the consequences of being perceived as ignoring the threat to Danish sovereignty, the Telegraph explains.
Palace sources have lamented the "poor understanding" of how state visits work among those calling for the king to cancel the trip. The monarch receives or makes state visits on the advice of the government, they say; his personal views are irrelevant.
The idea of the king using his diplomatic influence with Donald Trump on the Greenland issue - in order to change his position - is "absolutely not" under discussion, another source told the newspaper.
The Financial Times newspaper published a text on its website titled "Can the EU withstand Donald Trump in a trade war?".
"If Trump has to go to 1,000 percent tariffs, he won't even blink an eye", Agat Demare, a political scientist at the European Council on Foreign Policy, told the publication. "The EU is in a completely different category - pragmatic, bureaucratic and cold-blooded. So if Trump wants to escalate, he will always have the upper hand."
But supporters of a tougher approach to Trump argue that Europe is not so defenseless. Georg Rickelles of the European Policy Center says that while the United States has significant leverage to put pressure on the EU, the reverse is also true.
"Each country has ways to put pressure on the other, but that's not the real issue," he said. "Dominance through escalation depends on unity and determination. And because Europeans have the most to lose, they also have the strongest incentive and means to gain."
The American newspaper "Wall Street Journal" writes that for months, European leaders have responded to President Donald Trump's desire to acquire Greenland in the same way: the territory is not for sale. Now, however, those same leaders are rushing to meet with Trump about the future of Greenland after the US president threatened to hit Europe's economy with high tariffs, the publication added.
"This shift is the result of Trump's well-known approach: making bold demands, threatening economic or military consequences if they are not met, and then waiting for his opponents to back down," commented the "Wall Street Journal".
Another American newspaper – – – – – – New York Times" draws attention to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who did not mention the United States or President Trump by name in his speech at the World Economic Forum, but it was clear who he blamed for the "fracture" in the world order.
According to the newspaper, Trump's hostile attitude towards European allies over Greenland has led many Canadians to fear that he may take action to realize his hope that Canada will be annexed as the 51st state of the United States.
In his speech, Carney said that Canada's commitment to Article 5 of the NATO treaty is unwavering. However, this article was not formulated with the idea that one country in the alliance could attack another. It is also unclear whether all NATO members would respond with military force in such a scenario, commented the "New York Times".
On the other hand, the European version of the magazine "Politico" wrote in a headline that for Russia, Greenland offers an "ideal solution" to the problem with Ukraine. This contradiction points to a deliberate strategy: using the crisis to weaken Western unity while Trump's attention is focused elsewhere, the publication commented.
The title is a reference to the publication in "Telegram" by Russian political analyst Sergei Markov, who wrote that "Greenland is the perfect solution". The tension between Europe and the United States could become a springboard to the collapse of NATO. Then the EU would be forced to stop its war against Russia, he added.
"Politico" also points out that Donald Trump's increasingly keen appetite for Greenland breathes new life into the idea of Europe creating an equivalent of the UN Security Council - a forum in which top leaders can act quickly in times of crisis.
Sergey Lagodinsky, a German MEP and vice-chairman of the "Greens" group in the EP, proposes the creation of a council comprising the leaders of the "big six" in Europe — Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland and the UK, as well as two rotating posts for smaller countries and the president of the European Parliament.
According to the proposal, the council should be created through a new intergovernmental treaty. This would make it compatible with EU law, but would bypass the requirement for unanimous decisions in the field of defense, and would also allow for the participation of non-EU countries, such as the UK, commented "Politico".