THE NEW YORK TIMES: Europe’s dependence on the United States for NATO security limits its options. Its strongest response could be retaliating with its own trade “bazooka.”
In a single post on Saturday night, President Trump upended months of progress on trade negotiations with an ultimatum that puts Europe on a crash course with the United States — long its closest ally and suddenly one of its biggest threats.
In the Truth Social post, Mr. Trump demanded a deal to buy Greenland, saying that otherwise he would slap tariffs on a group of European nations, first 10 percent in February, then 25 percent in June.
It appeared to leave little room for Europe to maneuver or negotiate in a harsh and combative era of geopolitics. It also left Europe with few options to counter Mr. Trump without repercussions.
European leaders are loath to accept the forced takeover of an autonomous territory that is controlled by Denmark, a member of both NATO and the European Union.
Officials and outside analysts increasingly argue that Europe will need to respond to Mr. Trump with force — namely by hitting back on trade. But doing so could come at a heavy cost to both the bloc’s economy and its security, since Europe remains heavily reliant on the United States for support through NATO and in Russia’s war with Ukraine.
“We either fight a trade war, or we’re in a real war,” said Jacob Funk Kirkegaard, a senior fellow at Bruegel, a research institute in Brussels. » | Jeanna Smialek | Reporting from Brussels | Sunday, January 18, 2026
Under absolutely NO CIRCUMSTANCES must we Europeans allow Donald Trump to annex Greenland, either forcefully or through commercial means. We Europeans must do WHATEVER IT TAKES, HOWEVER PAINFUL THE CONSEQUENCES, to retain Greenland in Denmark’s jurisdiction. Greenlanders do not want to be Americans, and their wishes must be respected, come what may. — © Mark Alexander
