Main Points<\/p>\n
Key Reads<\/p>\n
Ambassadors from the European Union\u2019s 27 countries are convening for an emergency meeting after US president Donald Trump<\/a> vowed a wave of increasing tariffs on European allies until the US is allowed to buy Greenland<\/a>.<\/p>\n Cyprus<\/a>, which holds the six-month rotating EU presidency, said late on Saturday that it had called the meeting, which EU diplomats said was set to start at 4pm GMT.<\/p>\n Follow here for live updates.<\/p>\n Jade Wilson – 0 minutes ago<\/p>\n There will be growing calls in the coming days for the European Union to take its so-called \u201cbig bazooka\u201d off the shelf and put it down on the negotiating table, Jack Power writes. <\/p>\n Val\u00e9rie Hayer, a senior French MEP and ally of Emmanuel Macron, has called for the EU to trigger its anti coercion instrument (ACI), which would give the European Commission emergency powers to restrict US companies ability to operate in the EU market. <\/p>\n The ACI is intended as a way for the EU to fight back against economic coercion from another state. It has never been used before, and a months-long investigation by the commission would first be required to confirm such a response was justified. <\/p>\n Macron was known to have talked about turning to the nuclear option during tense periods of EU-US tariff negotiations last year. The Irish Government always opposed talk of reaching for the ACI, instead appealing for the EU to avoid antagonising the White House and to cut a deal sucking up 15 per cent tariffs last summer. <\/p>\n Fianna F\u00e1il MEP Barry Andrews said the EU needed to stop its \u201cappeasement\u201d of Trump and use the anti coercion instrument to hit back. <\/p>\n \u201cThis would mean blocking US access to the lucrative EU market for certain goods and services such as the defence sector and public procurement market. President Trump only respects strength. We need to show him that enough is enough,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n Jade Wilson – 10 minutes ago<\/p>\n European countries have jointly hit back at US president Donald Trump\u2019s threatened new trade tariffs, warning the escalating dispute over Greenland risks heading into a \u201cdangerous downward spiral\u201d, our Europe Correspondent, Jack Power, writes. <\/p>\n The near unprecedented schism in transatlantic relations, caused by Mr Trump issuing fresh threats of steep tariffs on European allies if Greenland is not sold to the US, has prompted a diplomatic scramble by European capitals in the crosshairs. <\/p>\n In a joint statement, the governments of France, Germany, the UK, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, criticised the comments coming from Washington as a breach in Europe-US relations. <\/p>\n \u201cTariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. We will continue to stand united and co-ordinated in our response. We are committed to upholding our sovereignty,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n The involvement of troops from several European countries in a Danish military exercise in the Arctic was \u201cpre-coordinated\u201d and posed no threat to anyone, the governments said. <\/p>\n The European countries reaffirmed they would stand firmly behind the principles of \u201csovereignty and territorial integrity\u201d in the Greenland dispute. <\/p>\n \u201cWe stand in full solidarity with the Kingdom of Denmark and the people of Greenland,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n Jade Wilson – 48 minutes ago<\/p>\n \ud83d\uded1 TARIFFS: #Trump<\/a> is bullying us again – now 10% against DK, NOR, SWE, FR, DE, UK, NL and FIN – who are standing up for the people of #Greenland<\/a>.<\/p>\n \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 Playground bullies must be confronted head on! <\/p>\n I cannot see how @EP_Trade<\/a> can now proceed with the flawed VDL\/Trump deal struck\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/onbFmYMjUy<\/a><\/p>\n\n