European leaders expressed cautious relief on Thursday after US President Donald Trump stepped back from threats linked to Greenland, while warning that the episode had exposed how fragile relations with Washington have become.
Meeting in Brussels for an emergency summit, EU leaders said the immediate risk of a confrontation over the Arctic island—an autonomous territory of NATO member Denmark—had eased. However, they made clear there were no illusions about the broader state of transatlantic ties under an increasingly unpredictable US administration.
French President Emmanuel Macron said the situation had stabilised, but only temporarily. He told fellow leaders Europe must remain alert and prepared to respond if tensions resurface, stressing that recent unity within the EU had played a role in persuading Washington to soften its stance.
Trump had alarmed European capitals by suggesting he could seize Greenland by force and by threatening tariffs against European allies, pushing relations to what diplomats described as a historic low. The sudden reversal came late on Wednesday after talks between Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Rutte later said discussions were ongoing and that further work lay ahead. While Trump claimed a "framework" agreement had been reached that met US demands, few details were made public, fuelling uncertainty across Europe about what had actually been agreed upon.
A source familiar with the talks said the United States and Denmark were expected to reopen negotiations over a 1951 defence agreement governing Greenland. Trump said the outcome would give Washington "everything we wanted," though there was no indication that his repeated ambitions to bring Greenland under US control had been realised.
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen dismissed any suggestion that sovereignty was up for discussion. She said Denmark was open to reviewing defence arrangements with the United States, but only on the grounds that Greenland remains Danish territory. She also welcomed strong backing from European partners, describing it as critical during what she called a deeply challenging moment.
Greenland’s Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, said he had not been briefed on the substance of the talks with Washington but reiterated his desire for continued dialogue conducted peacefully and with respect for Greenland’s autonomy.
Across Europe, leaders offered guarded responses. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Trump’s retreat was welcome but warned that global politics had entered a far more volatile era, with long-standing norms under strain. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Europe must defend its relationship with the United States while insisting that trust and mutual respect, not coercion, should guide future engagement.
The episode has reinforced Europe’s determination to strengthen its own defence capabilities and reduce its reliance on US security guarantees. Yet leaders acknowledged that American support remains vital, particularly in efforts to end the war in Ukraine and counter Russian pressure along NATO’s eastern flank.
Even as tensions over Greenland eased, concerns persisted. Trump renewed confrontational rhetoric on Thursday, warning of retaliation if European countries attempted to pressure Washington by selling US Treasury bonds—a reminder, EU officials said, that any calm may be short-lived.
For now, Europe appears relieved to have avoided an immediate crisis, but the consensus in Brussels was clear: vigilance, not complacency, will define the next phase of relations with Washington.
