Tension on the line with Washington. “If we do not respond decisively, we will send a signal of weakness.”

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday after a meeting with ministers from Denmark and Greenland that the EU has no interest in initiating disputes, but will defend its position. She added that US President Donald Trump's tariff threats will not ensure security in the Arctic.

The meeting with Kallas in Brussels was jointly attended by Danish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen and Greenlandic Minister of Foreign Affairs Vivian Motzfeldt.

Kallas emphasized in a post on the X platform that Denmark and Greenland are not alone. – Arctic security is a common transatlantic interest that we can discuss with our US allies – emphasized Kallas after a meeting with ministers from Denmark and Greenland. – However, customs threats are not the right way to achieve this goal – she emphasized.

– We have no interest in starting disputes, but we will defend our position – she declared. She added that Europe has numerous tools to protect its interests.

In addition to the meeting with the EU High Representative for Foreign and Defense Affairs, the program of Poulsen and Motzfeldt's visit also included a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, as well as with representatives of other Nordic countries.

Denmark: If we do not respond decisively to US threats, we will send a signal of weakness

In Europe, if we do not respond decisively to US threats to impose tariffs, we will send a signal of weakness, said Lars Lokke Rasmussen, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, who visited London on Monday.

– It will be Europe, not Denmark, that will respond to threats with tariffs – Rasmussen emphasized after meeting with the head of British diplomacy, Yvette Cooper, in an interview with the Danish DR and TV2.

Rasmussen appealed for calm. – There is a lot of time left until February 1 – he said.

The head of the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: the Greenland issue is not a problem of the European Union

The future of Greenland is not a European Union problem and Hungary has signaled that it will not support a joint EU statement on this matter, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Monday during a visit to Prague.

“We believe this is a bilateral issue that can be resolved through talks between the parties. I don't think it is an EU issue,” Szijjarto said during a briefing in the Czech capital. The minister's statement was quoted by Reuters.

The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, wrote on social networks on Sunday that the Community countries unanimously support Denmark and Greenland and are ready to “defend themselves against all forms of coercion.”

Przydacz: It is in Poland's interest to lower the temperature

It is in Poland's interest to lower the temperature of the dispute over Greenland, said Marcin Przydacz, head of the presidential BPM. He added that dialogue and diplomacy are crucial. According to him, with good will on both sides, the US and Denmark will be able to find an appropriate solution.

Asked at Monday's briefing how the president assesses this situation and whether he feels concerned about Trump's announcements, Przydacz emphasized that for Karol Nawrocki it is crucial that the dialogue between Copenhagen and Washington is “as open and honest as possible.”

– We are convinced that with the good will of both sides, both the United States and Denmark will be able to find an appropriate solution to ensure the security of the North American continent – said the head of the President's Office of International Affairs at a briefing before leaving for the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Przydacz admitted that the US president's announcements regarding tariffs are not conducive to the atmosphere and building good relations. – It is not in Poland's interest to raise the temperature of a possible dispute between transatlantic allies, but rather to lower this temperature, and we will certainly also deal with this during the Forum in Davos – he added.

When asked whether if Trump's announcements became a fact, Europe should prepare a common response, the head of BPM reminded that the threat of imposing tariffs only applies to some European countries, not the entire European Union.

– If an appropriate solution to the Greenland issue is found in the spirit of dialogue, both sides will certainly not be interested in imposing any customs tariffs – he said. He added that there is no agreement or willingness among EU member states to tighten relations with the US. – Dialogue and diplomacy are key here and this will certainly be the goal of our activities – he added.

Metsola: New tariffs will not improve safety

The head of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, said on Monday at the European Parliament in Strasbourg that the new tariffs announced by the US administration in recent days will not contribute to improving security in the Arctic and may even worsen the situation. This concerns the threat of imposing tariffs on some European countries.

Metsola recalled that Denmark and Greenland have clearly declared that Greenland is “not for sale” and this position will not change. She also reiterated that the European Union supports Denmark and the people of Greenland and remains united in defending their sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In her opinion, Europe understands the need for greater responsibility in defense and security, including the protection of the Arctic, which is reflected in increased defense spending.

– I know that many of us believe in transatlantic relations, in our partnership with the United States. I also know that many people in the US share this belief. We understand the need for Europe to take on greater defense and security responsibilities, including through stronger protection of the Arctic, and as a result we have stepped up and increased defense spending. We know that transatlantic and Arctic security can be fully ensured without destabilizing undermining of the sovereignty of Greenland and Denmark, or through measures such as tariffs, Metsola said.

In her opinion, “every major global challenge we face is easier to address when Europe and the United States work in concert.”

European Commission spokesman Olof Gill announced on Monday in Brussels that – despite the single market rules applicable in the EU – imposing customs duties on selected EU countries is technically possible, but extremely complicated in bureaucratic and procedural terms.

Gill admitted that attempting to impose tariffs on selected EU countries would create additional complications. These, in the case of trade between the EU and the United States, could impede the smooth functioning of transatlantic trade in goods and would be troublesome – as the spokesman noted – especially for American importers.

Gill recalled that the EU functions as a single market and within a customs union, which ensures the free movement of goods between member states without the need for internal customs formalities. In accordance with EU regulations, goods produced in the EU are marked as having EU origin.

The announced tariffs would increase to 25% in June. and remain in force – as Trump announced – until the US concludes an agreement on the purchase of the island, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark.