In an X post of his own, Macron — who belongs to the same party as Hayer — did not explicitly endorse that call but hinted at potential retaliation by saying that Europeans would “respond in a united and coordinated manner should they [Trump’s tariffs] be confirmed.”
‘Problem of understanding and communication’
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is considered one of the European leaders with the best relationship with Trump, told reporters on a trip to Seoul on Sunday that she had spoken with the U.S. president in the last few hours and noted that there had been “a problem of understanding and communication” regarding the move by several European countries to send troops to Greenland. Those deployments should not be interpreted as “anti-American,” she said.
Several European countries including France, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Norway and the Netherlands said they would deploy troops to take part in a Danish military exercise in Greenland. It was part of a series of steps taken by European leaders to demonstrate their investment in securing the Arctic, after Trump said Greenland was surrounded by Russian and Chinese ships.
Trump’s decision to slap tariffs “against those countries that have chosen to contribute to Greenland’s security is a mistake, and I do not agree with it,” Meloni said, before adding that the two sides need to “resume dialogue and avoid escalation.”
In a statement released Sunday afternoon, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom said the so-called Arctic Endurance exercise “poses no threat to anyone.”
The countries continued: “Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. We will continue to stand united and coordinated in our response. We are committed to upholding our sovereignty.”