BRUSSELS
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot on Monday said the European Union must respond firmly and in unity to mounting pressure from the US for the acquisition of Greenland, warning "humiliation is not an option" for Europe.
Speaking to Belgian public broadcaster VRT Radio 1, Prevot said dialogue with Washington remains preferable, but only if it takes place without threats or coercion. Otherwise, he said, the EU should consider activating its anti-coercion instrument, a set of economic countermeasures often referred to as Europe's "bazooka."
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Washington will impose 10% tariffs on goods from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland from Feb. 1, rising to 25% in June until there's a deal for "for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland."
He argues that the autonomous territory of Denmark is needed for national security purposes, as well as to deter rivals such as Russia and China. Europe has vowed to take a unified stance.
"Our response must be strong, united and proportionate," Prevot said. "Blackmail and threats from our original ally are unacceptable."
"Frankly, humiliation is not an option. We deserve respect. When that respect is trampled upon, we must respond in a meaningful and united way," the minister said.
Asked whether the US remains a reliable ally, Prevot said Washington is still Europe's partner but acknowledged a shift in relations. "We need to redefine our relationship. I dare to hope that the perspective of the EU's bazooka will create space for dialogue, so that the threat disappears," he said.
Prevot also cautioned against European naivety toward Trump, saying Europe cannot become "the adjustment variable of the erratic ambitions of the Trump administration."
"We must analyze various options to gain respect and, if necessary, take countermeasures," he added.
Prevot described the US position as "paradoxical," noting that Washington has repeatedly urged NATO allies to pay greater attention to security concerns in the Arctic region. In response, NATO allies, including Belgium, decided to deploy soldiers to Greenland for a reconnaissance mission to assess future deterrence options.
"The Americans saw this as an anti-American move. That's wrong, because we just took our collective responsibility to improve the security of this region. So the American threats are unnecessarily aggressive," Prevot said.