Greenland Threats Cause EU Parliament Members to Oppose Trade Concessions
A Danish member of the European Parliament from an eco-socialist party called the Red-Green Alliance is pushing for the parliament to halt consideration of a legislative package that would drop tariffs on American industrial goods and give U.S. agriculture more access to the EU market.
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Those concessions were negotiated by the European Council last summer in exchange for a 15% cap on tariffs on European exports to the U.S.
Per Clausen told reporters Jan. 8, "I think the EU should suspend the processing of [European Commission President Ursula] von der Leyen's agreement with [U.S. President Donald] Trump until the threats against Greenland have been withdrawn.
"We must stop the process in the European Parliament and in the European Council and say to the United States, 'We can talk about this if you clearly said that you will never attack Greenland.'"
Trump has said he wants to take over Greenland, an autonomous territory in the kingdom of Denmark.
Politico and Euronews both reported that Clausen is circulating a letter among members of the EU Parliament to call for a halt on the legislative package. A spokesperson for Clausen in Denmark didn't respond to a request for comment.
Politico reporters also said other left-of-center parties are linking the trade legislation to the Greenland threats, and there aren't enough votes in the center and right to pass the bill if the entire left unites against it.
"And then, I think the EU should make it totally clear that we will make sanctions against [the] United States if they go on with these threats against Greenland," Clausen added, saying that the EU is not powerless. "I think Trump thinks that European leaders are very weak, and they will never say 'no.'" Until they show otherwise, he said, Trump won't be deterred.
Reporters in Brussels asked spokespeople for the European Council repeatedly this week if the EU would take any action to deter a military attack on Greenland, given the continued rhetoric from the Trump administration and the U.S. military's capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. They declined to describe any actions but said that they stand in solidarity with Denmark and that territorial integrity must be respected.