EU ready to defend itself against any coercion: European Council President

Xinhua
19 Jan 2026, 02:15 GMT+10

Recognizing that tariffs "would undermine transatlantic relations" and are "incompatible with the EU-U.S. trade agreement," European Council President Antonio Costa underscored that the EU stands ready to defend itself against any form of coercion.

BRUSSELS, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- European Council President Antonio Costa said Sunday on X that the European Union (EU) is "ready to defend itself against any form of coercion" in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff threats over Greenland.

Costa said his consultations with member states on the latest tensions over Greenland had reaffirmed that the bloc remains "in support of and solidarity with Denmark and Greenland."

Recognizing that tariffs "would undermine transatlantic relations" and are "incompatible with the EU-U.S. trade agreement," he underscored that the EU stands ready to defend itself against any form of coercion.

In this regard, he added that he will convene an extraordinary meeting of the European Council in the coming days to further coordinate.

In a social media post on Saturday, Trump said the United States would levy a 10-percent tariff from Feb. 1 on goods from eight European countries. He warned the rate would rise to 25 percent on June 1 and remain in place until a deal is reached for the "complete and total purchase" of Greenland.

Also on Sunday, the Financial Times reported that the EU is considering hitting Washington with 93 billion euros (107.68 billion U.S. dollars) worth of tariffs or restricting American companies from the bloc's market.

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