Von der Leyen responds to Trump on Greenland and tariffs: “The American people are our friends; our response will be unflinching”

Brussels – Open to dialogue, willing to engage, yet firm and resolute. With poise and composure, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen manages to avoid clashes and ruptures with Donald Trump’s United States, while still, again with tact, keeping her distance and redefining the policy line. At the World Economic Forum in Davos, von der Leyen “breaks” with the American leadership but not with America. This is one of the key moments that probably marks a new Euro-Atlantic course: “We consider the people of the United States not only our allies, but our friends,” she says, deliberately speaking slowly to emphasise the difference between civil society and the political class. 

The words used in relation to the administration are different: “our response will be unflinching, united and proportional,” she warns and promises. Von der Leyen cannot avoid addressing the current thorny issue of Greenland and the threat of tariffs. Meanwhile, she strikes a blow to the honour of the US president, accusing him of dishonesty: “The EU and US have agreed to a trade deal last July. And in politics as in business, a deal is a deal. And when friends shake hands, it must mean something.” In other words, “the proposed additional tariffs are a mistake,” especially for the political and personal credibility of those who threaten them.

So, a clear dismissal. “Geopolitical shocks can, and must, serve as an opportunity for Europe,” the President of the European Commission reasons aloud. “In my view, the seismic change we are going through today is an opportunity, in fact, a necessity to build a new form of European independence.” It is the European Union that is threatening to look elsewhere — or at least to see Washington in a very different light. After all, “nostalgia is part of our human story. But nostalgia will not bring back the old order,” von der Leyen insists, less conciliatory than usual. 

She waits until the end of the speech to say, in a reasoned and articulate manner, that Greenland is Danish and therefore European, and that it will remain European. “The sovereignty and integrity of the territory are non-negotiable,” she states. Secondly, “we are working on a massive European investment surge in Greenland,” which will not be sold to the United States but will be integrated into the European market. “We will work with the United States and all partners for wider Arctic security,” she says, not as a gesture of courtesy or surrender, but because she underscores the centrality of NATO, within which European countries and the United States come together.  As for the rest, “we need to work with all of our regional partners to strengthen our common security. This is why we will look at how to strengthen our security partnerships with partners such as the UK, Canada, Norway, and Iceland.” The US is neither mentioned nor cited. It is the European Union that is trying to free itself from an Atlantic dependence that has suddenly become unsustainable. “It is time to seize this opportunity and build a new independent Europe.”