The European Union should react to US President Donald Trump’s threats regarding Greenland in a uniform and comprehensible manner. This was stated by analyst Martin Vokálek from the Europeum Institute for European Policy in an interview with TASR on Monday. At the same time, however, he emphasized that the Union should make it clear that the transatlantic partnership and cooperation in NATO remain crucial for it, as well as mutual respect, adherence to agreements and predictable rules.
In short:
- The EU should react uniformly to Trump’s threats about Greenland
- The Transatlantic Partnership and NATO are crucial for the Union
- The President of the Council called a summit in support of Greenland and Denmark
“It is necessary to make it clear that political or economic pressure from the US will not work and that tariffs cannot be a tool to force political concessions. This is especially true in issues related to Greenland, which are exacerbated by the absolutely irrational and often manipulative attitudes of Trump,” said Vokálek.
Extraordinary EU summit
European Council President António Costa announced on Sunday that he will convene an emergency summit of EU leaders in the coming days in response to Trump’s threats to impose import tariffs in connection with the dispute over Greenland. The analyst does not expect “dramatic” decisions from this meeting, but rather a political anchoring of further progress and a clear declaration of unity on the issues of support for Greenland and Denmark, as well as a rejection of Trump’s pressure.
“The main result should be the confirmation of a unified European line, or the granting of a mandate for the European Commission to take further steps and send a clear signal to the United States that the EU perceives the situation as a whole, and not as a problem for individual states,” added Vokálek. According to him, the summit should primarily have a stabilizing and unifying character, not an escalating one. According to him, coordination between the commercial, security and diplomatic levels will also be important.
Applying the ACI tool
In the event that Trump’s threats are fulfilled and tariffs are introduced on some European countries, Vokálek can also imagine the activation of the so-called instrument against economic coercion (ACI). “The purpose of the ACI is not to further escalate the trade conflict with the US, but to change the calculus of the other side and make it clear that economic pressure to enforce political priorities simply will not work,” he pointed out. France has already called for the use of this mechanism.
The EU has never used the ACI tool yet. “In practice, this would mean that the Union formally acknowledges the pressure from the US and obtains a legal framework for targeted countermeasures,” explained Vokálek. According to him, these could include selective tariffs or quotas, limiting the access of American companies to the EU single market, limiting European investments in the USA, excluding American companies from public contracts or interference in the field of intellectual property rights.
Reciprocal measures of the EU
According to Vokálek, it is realistic that even before the activation of the ACI, the EU could return to reciprocal customs measures, which were technically prepared during last year’s trade escalation by the US in the amount of approximately 90 to 100 billion euros. These measures were temporarily suspended after a preliminary agreement on further coordinated action, which, according to the analyst, the US president has already significantly disrupted with his statements and actions.
Vokálek concluded by pointing out that, if possible, the Union should prioritize dialogue for as long as possible, since possible countermeasures would have a negative impact on both sides.
