While America has threatened to impose a 10 per cent import tax on goods from eight European nations, French President Emmanuel Macron has warned the European Commission (EU) could retaliate against the US by deploying a trade “bazooka.”
Western leaders are also slamming Trump for dismantling international law.
Let’s take a closer look.
Macron takes on Trump
In a veiled swipe at Trump's foreign policy, French President Emmanuel Macron warned against strongman politics in his address at the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos on Tuesday (January 20).
“Conflict has become normalised,” he said, warning of a “shift towards a world without rules, where international law is trampled under foot and the only rule that seems to matter is the rule of the strongest.”
“Without collective governance, cooperation gives way to relentless competition,” he said, criticising US demands on mutual trade, the sole aim of which is to “weaken and subordinate Europe.”
He denounced the “endless accumulation of new tariffs that are fundamentally unacceptable — even more so when they are used as leverage against territorial sovereignty.”
In a purported veiled swipe at Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, Macron also berated “imperial ambitions” resurfacing.
Underlining that 2024 witnessed more than 60 wars —“an absolute record", he said sarcastically, “even if I understood a few of them were fixed."
The French president portrayed an image of a strong Europe, which will not shy away from retaliating against threats to its territorial sovereignty.
“Europe has very strong tools now, and we have to use them when we are not respected and when the rules of the game are not respected,” he said, referring to the bloc’s so-called “trade bazooka”.
“The (European Union’s) anti-coercion mechanism is a powerful instrument, and we should not hesitate to deploy it in today’s tough environment,” he said.
The EU’s anti-coercion instrument is meant to limit access to Europe’s markets to hostile trade partners.
Macron also urged Europe to reduce its investment in overseas bonds, as the bloc is currently a major buyer of US debt.
France has also rejected Trump's offer to join the "Board of Peace", an initiative that aims to end the conflict in Gaza.
A source close to Emmanuel Macron said in a statement on Monday that France did not plan to accept an invitation that, "along with many countries", it had received to join the Board of Peace.
"The [Board's] Charter... raises major questions, particularly with regard to respect for the principles and structure of the United Nations, which cannot be called into question under any circumstances," the statement read, as per BBC.
Denmark, Greenland react to Trump threats
Trump has been laying claims to Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark, citing Russian and Chinese threats. He insists that the US needs it for national security reasons.
But his assertions have not thrilled Europe or Greenland.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said Trump’s calls for the US to take over the vast Arctic territory have created a situation that is “about the world order.”
“International law is not a game,” he told reporters. “And if we don’t do that, of course alliances will fall, and that would be very bad.”
Responding to a question in Danish, he said that “it is unlikely that there will be a use of military force, but it cannot be ruled out,” according to a
He also said that Greenland was grateful for its allies and the European Union “for constantly saying we need to respect the world order.”
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned, “the worst may still be ahead of us.” Speaking to parliament, she said: “We have never sought conflict. We have consistently sought cooperation.”
During a debate in the European Parliament, Danish MEP Anders Vistisen rejected Trump’s claims over Greenland.
“Let me put this in words you might understand: Mr President, f*** off,” Vistisen said in a sharp rebuke.
ALSO READ: What next for Greenland and Denmark after discussions with Trump administration
Other European leaders join the anti-Trump chorus
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pushed back on Trump's announcement to slap a 10 per cent import tax starting in February on goods from eight nations that have backed Denmark and Greenland, including Norway and Britain.
He said it was “unfair” to force the UK to choose between the US and Europe, adding that a trade war is “in no one’s interest”.
Speaking at a press conference in London, Starmer said the use of tariffs against allies was “completely wrong” and that such steps were “not the right way to resolve differences within an alliance”.
Starmer emphasised that the UK supported the “fundamental right” of Greenland and Denmark to decide the island’s future.
He said that he had implored Trump in a phone call to find a solution “rooted in partnership, facts and mutual respect”.
UK MP Ed Davey did not mince his words while attacking Trump in Parliament, likening the US president to an "international gangster" who thinks he can "grab" what he wants by force.
Addressing Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper in the UK parliament, Davey called Trump a "bully", saying the UK should stand together with their European allies to make him back down.
"President Trump is acting like an international gangster, threatened to trample over the sovereignty of an ally, threatening the end of NATO altogether, and now threatening to hit our country and seven European allies with outrageous damaging tariffs unless he gets his hands on Greenland," he said.
He said it is a "grave moment" for the UK, Europe and the world to be in, as Trump is attacking the economy, livelihoods and national security of countries in "unprovoked aggression".
He further labelled Trump as the "most corrupt president the US has ever seen".
Trump is acting like an international gangster.
The Prime Minister has tried appeasing him for 12 months and has failed. It's time we finally stood up to him and united with our European allies to make him back down. pic.twitter.com/9T4y5uQhhm
— Ed Davey (@EdwardJDavey) January 19, 2026
Referring to Trump's tariff threat if the US is not allowed to buy Greenland, German Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil said at his ministry, where he met with his French counterpart: "Germany and France agree: We will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed."
He added: "A line has been crossed... You'll understand that today I'm not saying exactly what will happen. But one thing must be clear: Europe must be prepared."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also condemned Trump's tariff threats over Greenland.
“The European Union and the United States have agreed to a trade deal last July,” von der Leyen said in Davos. “And in politics as in business – a deal is a deal. And when friends shake hands, it must mean something.”
“We consider the people of the United States not just our allies, but our friends. And plunging us into a downward spiral would only aid the very adversaries we are both so committed to keeping out of the strategic landscape,” she added.
She promised that the EU’s response “will be unflinching, united and proportional.”
The bloc is reportedly planning to suspend the EU-US trade deal, which was due to be ratified next week.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said at Davos that Europe cannot be a “miserable slave to Trump.”
Canada’s Carney speaks his mind
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney warned of global splits beyond Greenland, saying it was an “illusion” and “fiction” that there remains a rules-based international order.
“Let me be direct: We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition,” Carney said during his speech in Davos. Canada is a founding member of Nato.
Carney told WEF, "we stand firmly with Greenland and Denmark and fully support their unique right to determine Greenland's future".
He said that Canada's commitment to Nato's Article 5, which entails that an armed attack against one or more members is considered an attack against all, is "unwavering".
Carney said that Canada also "strongly opposes" tariffs over Greenland.
Trump ramps up pressure over Greenland
The US president has said there was "no going back" on his plan for Greenland. He claimed the Arctic island is "imperative", and questioned whether Nato would come to the rescue of the US.
"I know we'll come to (Nato's) rescue, but I just really do question whether or not they'll come to ours," he was quoted as saying by BBC.
When asked at the White House by a reporter how far he was willing to go to acquire Greenland, "you'll find out," he replied.
Trump is enroute to Davos, where he said he has “a lot of meetings” scheduled to discuss the territory.
With inputs from agencies
