Brussels has formally suspended the ratification of its trade agreement with the United States following President Trump’s linkage of tariff threats with his Greenland ambitions. European lawmakers have described this approach as blackmail, prompting the parliament’s most significant material response to the escalating crisis.
According to Bernd Lange, who leads the European Parliament’s trade committee, the pathway to compromise remains blocked while Greenland-related threats continue. The frozen trade deal had been designed to grant American industrial exporters zero-tariff access to European markets across multiple sectors.
The European Union has maintained its commitment to purchasing $750 billion worth of American energy, with officials confirming this arrangement operates independently from the suspended trade agreement. This strategic distinction allows Brussels to preserve essential energy cooperation while defending against political coercion.
Diplomatic tensions manifested when European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen altered her schedule after addressing parliament. She bypassed a planned Davos visit where Trump was attending, returning instead directly to Brussels to orchestrate emergency summit preparations.
The Thursday evening emergency gathering will examine Brussels’ full range of potential countermeasures. Most notably, leaders will consider activating an anti-coercion instrument originally conceived to limit Chinese economic pressure on individual member states. This nuclear option could restrict American companies from accessing European markets, potentially targeting technology giants, cryptocurrency platforms, aircraft manufacturers, and agricultural exporters. Additionally, the summit will discuss implementing €93 billion worth of counter-tariffs on US exports, though officials recognize such measures might burden European consumers with higher costs or reduced access to American services.