European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met with several U.S. lawmakers on Monday, urging them to promote policies that “unequivocally respect the sovereignty of” Denmark and its territory of Greenland.
The EU chief met with lawmakers from a bipartisan delegation, led by Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), that traveled to Copenhagen over the weekend to meet with Danish officials and demonstrate congressional support for the NATO ally. The delegation’s trip and meeting with von der Leyen come as President Donald Trump continues to publicly express his desire to acquire Greenland from Denmark for national security purposes.
Von der Leyen posted a photo of her meeting with members of the congressional delegation on X.
“I also addressed the need to unequivocally respect the sovereignty of Greenland and of the Kingdom of Denmark. This is of utmost importance to our trans-Atlantic relationship. At the same time, the European Union remains ready to continue working closely with the United States, NATO, and other allies, in close cooperation with Denmark, to advance our shared security interests,” von der Leyen said.
She also took a sharp stand against Trump’s recently announced tariffs on European nations that do not support the U.S. acquisition of Greenland.
“We also discussed trans-Atlantic trade and investment. They are a major asset for both the EU and U.S. economies. Tariffs run counter to these shared interests,” von der Leyen said.
Coons and Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Thom Tillis (R-NC), who also attended the meeting with von der Leyen, each condemned the tariffs on social media. Murkowski called the tariffs “unnecessary, punitive, and a profound mistake,” with Tillis calling the move “bad for America, bad for American businesses, and bad for America’s allies.”
“President Trump’s threats to slap tariffs on the EU to coerce Denmark into giving up Greenland risk a disastrous trade war with the EU and collapsing NATO. I appreciated the chance to meet with EU President @vonderleyen at a decisive moment for US-EU relations,” Coons wrote.
The Trump administration has maintained that the acquisition of Greenland is crucial for national security to prevent Russia or China from gaining access to the island.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that the European countries that prevent the United States from acquiring Greenland are playing a “very dangerous game” and “have put a level of risk in play that is not tenable or sustainable.”
CONGRESS URGED TO STOP ‘MADNESS’ OF TRUMP’S GREENLAND OBSESSION
“Therefore, it is imperative that, in order to protect Global Peace and Security, strong measures be taken so that this potentially perilous situation end quickly, and without question,” Trump wrote, announcing the tariffs that will go into effect on Feb. 1.
Trump’s announced tariffs are set to affect Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland, according to his Truth Social post.
