German media is bitter about Trump. “He spoke not like a politician, but an entertainer”

Donald Trump's resignation from imposing tariffs on European countries defending Greenland is the result of negative reactions from American financial markets, but also the tough attitude of the EU and its readiness to wage a trade war with the US, writes the German press on Thursday.

The “Sueddeutsche Zeitung” daily writes about the turnaround in the US president's approach to the issue of Greenland and relations with Europe.

“All European countries agreed that the threat of imposing punitive tariffs because of Greenland was unacceptable. The change in the position of the US president means that they do not have to agree on a common defense strategy,” he notes.

“Standing up to Trump pays off”

According to the newspaper, Trump concluded that by threatening tariffs against European NATO partners, he “went one step too far.” It is not known what influenced his change of position. Europe should draw lessons from the dispute and its resolution. “Standing up to Trump and showing him that you can and want to defend yourself sometimes pays off,” we read in “SZ.”

The newspaper's commentator notes that the readiness to resist Trump was not the same in all EU countries. French President Emmanuel Macron showed the greatest determinationwhile the German government was “more restrained”.

Davos 2026 is a turning point

In an earlier commentary on Trump's Davos speech, titled “Imperialist's Speech,” the newspaper questioned the US's right to lead the free world on the grounds that Trump's “despicable conduct” towards allies.

“Davos 2026 is a turning point. The old world order is already history. It is time for Europeans, aware of their strength, to respond to Trump's threats. Together with Great Britain, Canada and other countries, they must defend the liberal values ​​of the West. They must become what America was before,” we read in the “SZ” comment.

“NATO is not dead” – writes “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”. “At the end of that memorable day, Donald Trump abandoned the confrontation with NATO in the Greenland dispute. Trump's America, however, remains a mysterious partner, so Europe must think harder about sovereignty and look for other medium-sized powers,” we read in the commentary.

Was Trump afraid of the markets' reaction?

The agreement on Greenland is beneficial to everyone, with Trump making the most concessions, says FAZ. Analyzing the reasons for the change in Trump's attitude, the commentator points to the growing opposition in the ranks of the Republican Party and the MAGA movement. Share prices on financial markets came under pressure. Perhaps Trump was afraid of the “calm determination” of Europeans ready for a trade conflict with America, the newspaper admits.

The agreement on Greenland is “bad news” for Russia and China, the commentator noted. “NATO will survive because it is useful for Americans, but Trump's attitude remains unpredictable. Therefore, there is no return to the idealized past. (…) Europe must work harder, first of all, on its economic sovereignty and cooperate with friendly countries,” we read in the conclusion of the commentary in “FAZ”.

The weekly Die Zeit shares the view that an important reason for Trump's withdrawal from threats against European countries was the situation on financial markets.

“Tuesday was the worst day on American stock exchanges since October, while on Wednesday financial markets ended the day with solid profits,” we read in Die Zeit.

Diplomatic circles in Europe have long argued that Trump is only influenced by stock market movements.

“You can't count on this America”

Die Zeit writes that despite the relief felt in Europe after Trump's change in position, transatlantic relations have once again suffered damage. Trump's expressions of “undisguised contempt” for Europe confirmed the impression among Western allies that America cannot be counted on.

Die Welt calls Trump's speech in Davos a “show.” The US president “treated harshly” to almost everyone present, and his “disturbing speech” contained no main idea. “Trump is a professional – but not as a politician, but certainly as an entertainer” – says the newspaper. (PAP)

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