Germany’s Merz warns US, says EU will defend itself against tariff threats

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN (AA)—German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday that Europeans would like to continue cooperation with the US but would not give in to further tariff threats and would respond with countermeasures if necessary.

In his address to the German parliament, Merz told lawmakers that EU leaders demonstrated unity and resolve during their emergency summit last week, successfully averting tariff threats from US President Donald Trump over the Greenland dispute.

"Last week, we showed that the EU can act very quickly when necessary. We agreed that we would not allow ourselves to be intimidated by tariff threats again," the conservative leader said. "Anyone in the world who believes that tariffs are necessary to make policy against Europe must know that we are prepared and able to defend ourselves if necessary,” he added.

US President Donald Trump had earlier threatened to impose tariffs on European countries that opposed his plan to acquire Greenland. However, he moderated his stance following a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in Davos, Switzerland, last week.

Trump told reporters after the meeting that a framework deal had been discussed to address US security concerns, though he did not disclose specific details. Several media reports have suggested the deal would designate US military bases in Greenland as US sovereign territory.

Trump has repeatedly stated that the US must acquire Greenland for national security reasons and to counter rivals such as China and Russia in the Arctic. Both Denmark and Greenland—a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark—have rejected any proposal to sell the territory or cede sovereignty.