France proposes EU countermeasure against economic coercion in response to US threats over Greenland.
EU Response to US Greenland Tariffs
French President Emmanuel Macron has proposed using a countermeasure against economic coercion, a solution never before tested in practice. According to the Élysée Palace, which announced the plans on Sunday, January 18, this should be the EU’s response to recent threats from the US President. The US announced it would increase tariffs on eight countries that sent small military contingents to Greenland last week, with a total of several dozen soldiers deployed to the island. Initially, punitive US tariffs would be 10%, rising to 25% from June if no agreement to purchase the island is reached.
European Military Presence in Greenland
Besides approximately 200 Danish soldiers participating in the “Arctic Endurance” exercises – described by local military commanders as a response to Russian, not American, threats – other countries deployed personnel to Greenland: Germany, France, Great Britain, Sweden, Finland, and Norway. The official objective of their initiative was to demonstrate readiness to take shared responsibility for the island’s security. However, some commentators interpreted the actions of European capitals as a signal to discourage the US administration from attempting to achieve its goals in Greenland by force.
German Mission Ends Abruptly
On Sunday, the newspaper “Bild” reported that the German reconnaissance mission had already concluded in less than two days. That same evening, 15 Bundeswehr representatives flew back to Germany, despite initial expectations from the newspaper’s sources that their stay in Greenland would be extended.
