“Given the importance of recent events and with a view to further coordination, I have decided to convene an extraordinary meeting of the European Council in the coming days,” the politician wrote.
Costa said he had consulted with EU member states on the latest tensions over Greenland, and they reaffirmed their strong commitment to unity in the principles of international law, territorial integrity and national sovereignty.
According to the head of the European Council, the following were also confirmed: unity in support and solidarity with Denmark and Greenland; recognition of the common transatlantic interest in peace and security in the Arctic, in particular cooperation through NATO; a general assessment that tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and are inconsistent with the EU-US trade agreement; a willingness to defend against any form of coercion and a willingness to continue constructive engagement with the United States on all issues of common interest.
Costa did not name the date of the meeting of heads of state and government of EU member states.
My consultations with member states on the latest tensions over Greenland reconfirm our strong commitment to the following:
▪️ Unity on the principles of international law, territorial integrity and national sovereignty;
▪️ Unity in support of and solidarity with Denmark and…
— António Costa (@eucopresident) January 18, 2026
Context
American President Donald Trump has repeatedly repeated that the United States must gain control over Greenland (an autonomous territory of Denmark), otherwise it will allegedly be captured by China and the Russian Federation. He also said that the US could use military force to take over Greenland.
On January 13, Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said that between the United States and Denmark, the country chooses Denmark and “does not want” to belong to, be part of, or be governed by the United States.
Against the backdrop of statements by the American president, a number of countries, including Denmark, Germany, France, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, and Great Britain, sent military personnel to Greenland for reconnaissance purposes in preparation for military exercises. In response to this, on January 17, Trump announced the introduction of duties for a number of European countries.
On January 18, the media wrote that the German military received an order to urgently leave Greenland.
On the same day, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the UK issued a joint statement noting that such actions by the American president undermine transatlantic relations.
