Extraordinary European summit to address Trump's threats and the Greenland issue

European leaders will hold an extraordinary emergency summit in the Belgian capital, Brussels, on Thursday evening, aimed at discussing and formulating a unified response to the repeated threats made by former US President and Republican candidate Donald Trump, which included controversial statements about Greenland and the threat of imposing new tariffs, according to an official spokesman for the European Council.

The spokesman for the council, which includes the heads of state and government of the 27 EU member states, confirmed that the summit, scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM (18:00 GMT), will focus primarily on the future of "transatlantic relations" and how to protect European interests in light of current political changes.

Background to the tension: Greenland and European sovereignty

This summit comes at a historically charged time, as Trump has previously expressed a clear desire to purchase Greenland, a self-governing territory of Denmark. This proposal was met with staunch rejection and condemnation from the Danish government and the European Union, who considered it an infringement on sovereignty. Greenland's importance lies not only in its vast geographical size but also in its vital strategic location in the Arctic and its wealth of natural resources and rare minerals, making it a crucial geopolitical focal point for competition among major powers.

The tariff war and its economic impact

Alongside the political agenda, the economic file tops the summit's agenda, as Trump's threats to impose punitive tariffs on European goods have sparked widespread concern across the continent. European leaders fear that these protectionist policies could ignite a trade war that would harm the global economy and negatively impact growth rates in the Eurozone, particularly in vital sectors such as the automotive, steel, and agricultural industries.

The importance of the summit and its expected impact

This summit is of paramount importance on several levels:

• Locally and in Europe: The summit seeks to strengthen internal cohesion among the 27 EU member states, and to ensure that no country makes unilateral decisions that could weaken the unified European position.
• Regionally and internationally: This meeting sends a clear message about the independence of European decision-making and the Union’s ability to protect its strategic and economic interests without succumbing to external pressures, thus reshaping the balance of power in international relations.

The leaders are expected to issue a final statement affirming the importance of the strategic partnership with the United States, while simultaneously emphasizing their rejection of threatening language and their commitment to the principles of free trade and respect for the national sovereignty of member states.