Should Trump impose tariffs, EU ‘has tools at disposal’ to respond to ‘do everything necessary’ to protect interests, bloc declares
But the EU’s Gill adds that “should the threatened tariffs be imposed, the European Union has tools at its disposal and is prepared to respond becautilize we will do everything necessary to protect EU’s economic interests.”
But then he repeats the earlier line that “our priority is to engage, not escalate,” and that the EU’s engagement with the US “is continuing at all levels.”
But he declares:
“Sometimes the most responsible form of leadership is restraint.”
He declares he is not aware of plans for a Trump – von der Leyen meeting, but notes they’ll both be in Davos this week.
Key events
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EU strikes ‘decidedly diplomatic note’ on US trade talks – snap analysis
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EU’s foreign policy chief Kallas to meet with Danish, Greenlandic politicians today
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EU confirms receipt of invite to join Trump’s Gaza ‘board of peace’
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Emergency EU summit on transatlantic summit scheduled for Thursday night
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EU ‘taking every step possible to avoid worst case outcomes’ and ‘escalation’ on tariffs
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EU declares current freeze on €93bn retaliation measures against US lapses on 6 Feb, could see new US tariffs kick in next day
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Should Trump impose tariffs, EU ‘has tools at disposal’ to respond to ‘do everything necessary’ to protect interests, bloc declares
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‘Intensive consultations’ on response to Trump’s tariff threats, but focus on engagement, EU declares
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Trump has invited Russia’s Putin to join ‘Board of Peace’ for Gaza, Kremlin declares
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Kremlin declares Trump would ‘certainly go down in history’ if he took Greenland
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Starmer’s press conference on Greenland – summary
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Starmer declares he doesn’t believe Trump is considering military action in Greenland – snap analysis
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Despite markedly softer tone, Starmer insists there’s ‘unity and coordination’ with EU on response to Trump – snap analysis
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Starmer picks up suggestion military relocates on Greenland may have been misunderstood by Trump – snap analysis
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Not clear how – or if – UK would retaliate against US tariffs – snap analysis
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Starmer doesn’t respond to questions if UK would retaliate with tariffs against US
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UK will be ‘pragmatic,’ but not ‘passive,’ Starmer declares
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Trump’s tariff threats ‘completely wrong,’ with trade war ‘in no one’s interest,’ Starmer declares
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‘Any decision on Greenland belongs to people of Greenland and Denmark alone,’ Starmer declares
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Starmer warns about ‘markedly more turbulent’ times, but reiterates importance of US relationship
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UK’s Starmer gives press conference on Greenland – watch live
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Greenland’s dogsled federation welcomes withdrawal of invitation for US envoy to attfinish its annual race
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Germany, France push back against Trump’s ‘blackmail’ on tariffs and Greenland
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Trump’s explosive letter came in response to request for phone call, Norwegian PM declares
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Morning opening: ‘I no longer feel obligation to believe purely of peace’
EU strikes ‘decidedly diplomatic note’ on US trade talks – snap analysis
Lisa O’Carroll
Senior correspondent covering international trade
The EU has struck a decidedly diplomatic note today calling for calm on all sides as leaders test to work among themselves and with the White Houtilize to avert the crisis over Greenland spiralling into a full-on trade war in two weeks time.
“We are testing to be calm,” European Commission’s trade spokesperson Olof Gill informed reporters at the daily press briefing in Brussels on Monday. “The priority here is to engage, not escalate and avoid the issue of tariffs”.
“EU leaders are consulting intensively. As well as that, engagement with the US is continuing at all levels,” he stated.
“Sometimes the most responsible for of leadership is restraint,” he added (12:12).
He confirmed that the €93bn package of counter tariffs, agreed last year, could come into force on 7 February if Donald Trump carries out his threat to impose 10% tariffs on 2 February (12:18).
His answers were designed to dial down the rhetoric after a war of words unleashed by Trump’s threat to introduce tariffs against the UK, Norway and six EU countries who supported a coordinated military presence in Greenland last week.
In an unprecedented confrontation with a long-standing, now unreliable ally, France’s Emmanuel Macron stated no amount of intimidation would work, while the Swedish prime minister Ulf Kristersson warned the EU would not be “blackmailed” and the Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre warned that “threats have no place among allies”.
President Trump will be in Davos on Wednesday but as yet no meetings are planned with the European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, Gill stated (12:12).
Pressed repeatedly on the issue of facing Trump down with either the €93bn worth of retaliatory measures or activating a never-utilized before anti-coercion instrument, Gill drove home a clear EU message that leaders want to resolve the crisis through talks asap (12:29).
“I believe it was very clear from the president’s post on social media yesterday that the objective here is to avoid, an escalation, find a solution that works and, ultimately, to avoid the imposition of these tariffs which serve, no good and will ultimately only hit consumers, in particular American consumers. So we’re seeing to avoid that outcome.”
EU’s foreign policy chief Kallas to meet with Danish, Greenlandic politicians today
EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas will meet with Danish deputy prime minister, defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen and Greenlandic foreign minister Vivian Motzfeldt later today, the commission has just confirmed.
The Danish-Greenlandic pair is also separately meeting Nato’s Mark Rutte at Nato HQ today.
EU confirms receipt of invite to join Trump’s Gaza ‘board of peace’
Meanwhile, the European Commission has just confirmed that its president, Ursula von der Leyen, obtained a letter inviting her to join Trump’s Gaza ‘board of peace’.
“The president is in close contact with EU leaders on all geopolitical matters, and discussions will continue on this topic, I’m sure, during the week. Our objective here is to achieve peace, and in particular, we want to contribute to a comprehensive plan to finish the Gaza conflict.”
No line on whether she will accept or not.
Emergency EU summit on transatlantic summit scheduled for Thursday night
We are now obtainting a bit more clarity about that emergency European Council summit planned for this week, which is now expected to start 7pm local time on Thursday.
Jakub Krupa
“We are testing to be calm” might just be the best summary of the EU’s response to Trump so far, as my colleague Lisa O’Carroll rightly notes.
EU ‘taking every step possible to avoid worst case outcomes’ and ‘escalation’ on tariffs
Gill keeps repeating the EU’s main message today, that the bloc is “taking every possible step to avoid worst case outcomes, i.e. escalation … and we are testing to be calm, to be firm, to be serious, to be responsible.”
“Becautilize that’s what, in our view, leadership sees like.”
He faces more questions on the EU’s anti-coercion instrument, declareing “it’s primary goal is to serve as a deterrent,” and “sometimes just mentioning the possibility of a stronger tool can serve the desired effect.”
EU declares current freeze on €93bn retaliation measures against US lapses on 6 Feb, could see new US tariffs kick in next day
The EU’s Gill also offers a bit more detail on the EU’s potential relocate to retaliate against the US, unfreezing the €93bn package adopted during the summer and which was pautilized after the EU-US deal in Scotland.
He declares the suspension of the package lapses on 6th February, and that is “automatic.”
“Unless the commission, in consultation with member states via the usual comitology, procedure, take steps to extfinish the suspension, the suspension finishs and the measures kick in on the 7th February.”
He declares there has been “no decision” on this either way as leaders consult on next steps, but that’s the process.
He adds that the focus is on avoiding an escalation and finding a solution that works for all involved.
“If I was to summarise what the Commission wants to achieve here: we want to create sure that the maximum amount of EU unity and solidarity is maintained so that we are in the strongest possible position to achieve the outcomes.”
Should Trump impose tariffs, EU ‘has tools at disposal’ to respond to ‘do everything necessary’ to protect interests, bloc declares
But the EU’s Gill adds that “should the threatened tariffs be imposed, the European Union has tools at its disposal and is prepared to respond becautilize we will do everything necessary to protect EU’s economic interests.”
But then he repeats the earlier line that “our priority is to engage, not escalate,” and that the EU’s engagement with the US “is continuing at all levels.”
But he declares:
“Sometimes the most responsible form of leadership is restraint.”
He declares he is not aware of plans for a Trump – von der Leyen meeting, but notes they’ll both be in Davos this week.
‘Intensive consultations’ on response to Trump’s tariff threats, but focus on engagement, EU declares
The European Commission’s daily briefing is now under way.
The commission’s deputy chief spokesperson and trade lead, Olof Gill, declares that “intensive consultations are ongoing among EU leaders,” but he declares that “it’s clear from the consultations among EU leaders, including president von der Leyen, that the priority here is to engage, not escalate and avoid the imposition of tariffs.”
“Why? Becautilize this will ultimately harm consumers and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic.”
Meanwhile, we are also obtainting a line from France, that the countest’s president Emmanuel Macron will hold a defence and national security meeting at midday to discuss Greenland, among other issues.
Germany’s Friedrich Merz is also expected to speak about Greenland and tariffs at a domestic event early afternoon.
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