EU questions Trump's claim on lifting tariffs — Politico
Photo: Donald Trump (Getty Images)
European Union officials have reacted skeptically to US President Donald Trump's statement that he will not impose tariffs on goods from countries that supported Denmark in the face of threats from the White House, Politico reports.
German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil believes that it is too early to conclude that the looming conflict between the US and the EU is over.
"After the back and forth of the last few days, we should now wait and see what substantive agreements are reached between Mr. Rutte and Mr. Trump," he says.
An EU representative who participated in the negotiations on Greenland tells Politico that he would be skeptical about calling this fantastic news.
"I would be skeptical about calling this fantastic news. We cannot live our lives or govern our countries based on social media posts," the politician stresses.
Another source at NATO linked the softening of the US President's position to the efforts of Secretary General Mark Rutte, who has established a close personal relationship with the US President and is doing his job.
Background
Earlier, US President Donald Trump said he was imposing tariffs on a number of European countries until Washington could buy Greenland. The tariffs will be increased in two stages.
According to him, starting February 1, 2026, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland will be charged a 10% tariff on all goods sent to the United States.
From June 1, 2026, the duty will be increased to 25%. This duty will be payable until an agreement is reached on the full and absolute purchase of Greenland.
Against this backdrop, a number of EU countries have begun to develop options for responding to the US. For example, the German government is prepared to significantly increase the rent charged to the United States for military bases on German territory.
