A firm but balanced response, together with the preserved unity of the European Union, played a key role in US President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the threats related to Greenland. This was stated by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, quoted by Euractiv, reports News.bg.
Her comment came after a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels, convened by the President of the European Council António Costa, at which a review of the tense week following Trump's warning of the possible imposition of 25 percent tariffs against six EU countries was made. The reason was their support for maintaining Greenland's status as an autonomous Danish territory.
When asked whether other factors - such as the diplomatic efforts of NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, domestic political considerations in the United States or market instability - contributed more to the change in Washington's position, von der Leyen did not rule out such an influence. However, she stressed that it was the EU's strategy that was decisive.
“All these elements may have had an influence, but without firmness, without non-escalating responses and without unity in the European Union, none of this would have worked,” she said.
There have been differences of approach within the EU on the issue of Greenland. France has pushed for the immediate activation of the anti-coercion instrument, the bloc's strongest trade measure, while Italy and Germany have called for a more moderate response.
Von der Leyen made it clear that the EU was prepared to retaliate with countermeasures if tariffs were imposed, although she and Costa did not directly mention the so-called „trade bazooka“.
„We have ready trade tools and countermeasures“, said the EC President.
The two leaders also called on the European Parliament to continue the process of ratifying the EU-US trade agreement, which some MEPs had previously threatened to block.
„Our focus now must be on implementing the agreement“, said António Costa, defining the goal as stabilising the 1.6 trillion euro transatlantic economic relationship.
Von der Leyen added that the EU expects the same consistency from the United States: „A deal is a deal – that is what we want to see and that is what we will deliver on our part.“