Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1542709
EUROPEAN Commission Pres- ident Ursula von der Leyen warned on Tuesday that the EU would respond "unflinchingly, united and proportionally" to any new US tariffs under Presi- dent Donald Trump. Speaking in a special address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, von der Leyen said geopolitical shocks should be treated as permanent change rather than temporary disrup- tion, arguing that Europe must reduce strategic dependencies and strengthen its economic and political power. "Nostalgia will not bring back the old order," she said. "If this change is permanent, then Eu- rope must change permanently too." Von der Leyen stressed that the EU still considers the United States a close ally and friend, but warned against escalating trade disputes between long-standing partners. "The proposed additional tar- iffs are a mistake, especially be- tween long-standing allies," she said, referring to renewed tariff threats by Trump. "In politics as in business, a deal is a deal. And when friends shake hands, it must mean something." She said the EU and US had agreed to a trade deal last July and warned that a downward spiral in relations would only benefit shared adversaries. While underlining the desire to work with Washington, von der Leyen said the EU would not hesitate to act if necessary. "Our response will be unflinching, united and proportional," she said, adding that Europe would also take a strategic approach rather than reacting impulsively. A major portion of the speech focused on Arctic security and Greenland, amid recent geopo- litical tensions and increased US interest in the region. Von der Leyen said the EU stood in "full solidarity with Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark", stressing that their sovereignty and territorial integ- rity are "non-negotiable". "It is for sovereign people to decide their own future," she said. She announced that the EU is preparing a major investment package for Greenland, aimed at strengthening local infrastruc- ture and the economy, alongside cooperation with Denmark. The EU will also step up defence-re- lated investment in Arctic ca- pabilities, including European icebreaker capacity, as part of a wider push to secure the High North. Von der Leyen said Arctic se- curity could only be achieved collectively and that the EU would deepen cooperation with partners such as the UK, Cana- da, Norway and Iceland. Positioning Europe as a cham- pion of open markets, von der Leyen highlighted the recent signing of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, calling it the world's largest free trade zone, covering over 700 million peo- ple and more than 20% of global GDP. She said the EU was choosing "fair trade over tariffs, part- nership over isolation", and confirmed negotiations were advancing with countries in- cluding Australia, the Philip- pines, Thailand, Malaysia and the UAE. She also said the EU was close to a landmark trade agreement with India, which she described as potentially creating a market of two billion people and giving Europe a strategic advantage in fast-growing economies. "Europe will always choose the world," she said. "And the world is ready to choose Europe." Von der Leyen reiterated Eu- rope's commitment to Ukraine, saying Russia showed "no sign of seeking peace" and was intensi- fying attacks on civilians and en- ergy infrastructure. She confirmed that EU mem- ber states had agreed to provide Ukraine with €90 billion in loans for 2026 and 2027, to support military defence, post-war secu- rity and essential services. She also said Russian state as- sets would remain immobilised, and that Europe reserved the right to use them, sending what she called a "stark reminder" to Moscow. At the same time, she pointed to a sharp increase in Europe- an defence spending, which she said could reach €800 billion by 2030, linking economic policy directly to national security. Throughout the address, von der Leyen returned to the con- cept of European independence, not as isolation but as resil- ience, in energy, defence, supply chains, digital technology and capital markets. She said Europe must acceler- ate regulatory integration, cre- ate easier conditions for compa- nies to scale across borders, and build a true energy union to re- duce price volatility and external dependence. Concluding her speech, von der Leyen said Europe must adapt quickly to a permanently changed global order. "The world has changed per- manently. And we need to change with it," she said. EUROPEAN Parliament Presi- dent Roberta Metsola has firm- ly backed Denmark in its dis- pute with the United States over Greenland, declaring that the island's sovereignty is non-ne- gotiable and insisting the EU's measured response should not be mistaken for weakness. "Greenland and Denmark have both made clear that Greenland is not for sale and their sovereignty and territorial integrity need to be respected. That fact will not change," Metsola told the Euro- pean Parliament plenary on Mon- day, receiving a standing ovation from MEPs across the political spectrum. The intervention comes after US President Donald Trump vowed to seize control of Green- land, a sovereign Danish territory, claiming it is vital to US national security. Over the weekend, Trump threatened to impose an addition- al 10 per cent tariff on European countries that stand in the way of his aim. Metsola warned that the threat- ened US measures "will not help improve security in the Arctic. In fact, they risk the opposite." She stressed that transatlantic and Arctic security could be achieved "without the destabilising impact of calling Greenland and Den- mark's sovereignty into question, or through measures like tariffs." The EP President emphasised that "the European Union sup- ports Denmark and the people of Greenland. We do so unit- ed in our resolve," recalling that when Greenland's Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen addressed the European Parliament last October, he heard that "when Greenland looks to Europe, it will find friends and allies." Despite her firm stance, Metso- la signalled the EU remains open to dialogue with Washington. "Europe will always be open to continue to discuss in a spirit of mutual respect," she said, echo- ing a message from EU Council President Antonio Costa, who has convened an emergency Council meeting in the coming days. It was reported on Monday that EU member states are consider- ing imposing €93 billion worth of tariffs on the US or restricting US imports into Europe in retaliation. Addressing concerns about the EU's initial response, Metsola stat- ed: "I know that some will mistake our way of calm resolve, restraint and dialogue for weakness. They are wrong. It is the opposite. We are Europe: We will always stand up for our way, rationally, confi- dently and deliberately, and we will make no apologies for that." She sought to reassure that the transatlantic relationship re- mained important, noting that "many in the US" still believed in it and emphasising the shared "values, freedoms and principles" between the EU and USA, who "are stronger together." The European Parliament is scheduled to hold a formal debate on Arctic security today. 7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 21 JANUARY 2026 NEWS NICOLE MEILAK nmeilak@mediatoday.com.mt JULIANA ZAMMIT jzammit@mediatoday.com.mt Von der Leyen vows firm EU response to Trump and backs Greenland sovereignty European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (File photo) Metsola backs Denmark on Greenland, warns US tariffs risk Arctic security European Parliament President Roberta Metsola (Photo: Roberta Metsola)