EU Leaders Convene Emergency Meeting in Brussels to Formulate Response to Trump

European leaders have gathered in Brussels for an emergency dinner to discuss the rapidly deteriorating relations with the United States, most notably highlighted by President Donald Trump’s "obsessive desire" to annex Greenland, reports The New York Times (NYT) citing sources.

The article notes that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has expressed support for continued dialogue with the US leader, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has called for immediate measures to reduce the EU's economic dependence on Washington. French President Emmanuel Macron has stated that respect from Trump must be earned by showing a willingness to confront him.

The newspaper reports that politicians have developed an action plan following the threats issued by the US President last week. "The leaders' plan is to maintain calm amid Mr. Trump’s future provocations, threaten reciprocating tariffs, and, according to officials, work behind the scenes to make Europe less dependent on its increasingly unreliable ally in military and economic terms," the article states.

The publication adds that this chosen strategy has forced EU leaders to actively oppose Trump in words, but they are still struggling to support these words with actions. To reassure the American politician, Europeans are discussing ways to enhance security in the Arctic. In the long term, they intend to improve their military forces, decrease reliance on American technology, and redirect trade. However, Europe still lacks a rapid plan to achieve "military autonomy" from Washington.

Previously, it was reported that the EU is concerned about its dependence on American liquefied natural gas. Consequently, Europe is discussing increasing energy supplies from Canada, Qatar, and countries in North Africa.