‘The world has changed permanently, we need to change it,’ says EU chief as leaders sit down (over chicken supreme dinner) to discuss Trump’s new world order
European leaders held an emergency summit in Brussels to discuss the future of the continent’s relations with the United States.
The European Council meeting, a working lunch where leaders enjoyed scallops, chicken dip and citrus salad, ended after midnight local time, following a tense World Economic Forum in Davos.
Donald Trump ratcheted up transatlantic tensions on Wednesday by telling Europe they would all speak German and some Japanese without the United States, before doubling down on his demands for Greenland.
Speaking in Davos on Thursday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that Europe should prepare its own security strategy without relying on the United States.
‘The world has changed permanently, we need to change it,’ EU chief said.
‘I believe that Europe must adapt to the new security architecture and the realities we now face.
‘That’s why Europe is preparing its own security strategy, which we plan to publish later this year. As part of this, we are developing our Arctic strategy.
‘Europe must accelerate its efforts for independence, from security to economy, from defense to democracy. The point is that the world has changed permanently. ‘We need to change with it.’
Donald Trump backs down on threat to invade Greenland after fierce response from Britain and other European allies
‘The world has changed permanently, we need to change it,’ Ursula von der Leyen said
Emergency meeting comes after Trump backs off sending US troops to invade Greenland
The EU chief added: ‘Europe is fully committed when it comes to the security of the Arctic region.
‘And we share the goals of the United States in this regard. For example, Finland, one of NATO’s newest members, is selling its first icebreakers to the United States. This shows that we have this ability here.’
His comments came hours before European leaders were to gather for an emergency summit in Brussels to discuss their future relationship with the United States.
Not all European prime ministers were happy to attend the meeting.
Slovakian prime minister Robert Fico described it as ‘a super expensive dinner in Brussels’.
He said European council president António Costa, speaking on the plane before flying to the Belgian capital, called for an emergency meeting “while calming the panic of some member states, but also without taking any decisions and without even knowing when we will finish it.”
He said it was an ‘overpriced dinner in Brussels’ and noted the expense of a government plane and an impromptu summit.
However, he said that he should also participate, otherwise the internal opposition would ‘lose its mind’.
On Wednesday, Trump finally agreed to drop his threat to invade Greenland after a bitter dispute with Britain and other NATO allies.
French President Emmanuel Macron arrives at emergency summit wearing aviator sunglasses
Speaking after meeting NATO chief Mark Rutte, the US president said he had agreed on the “framework of a future agreement” for control of the Arctic island, which he claimed was vital to American security.
Mr. Trump added that he was suspending plans to impose tariffs on Britain and other countries that resist taking over Greenland.
On Wednesday night, NATO officers were discussing an arrangement under which Denmark would cede the ‘small area of Greenland’ to the US where it could build military bases.
According to The New York Times, senior officials compared the proposal to UK military bases in Cyprus, which is considered sovereign British territory.
Mr Trump told reporters it was the ‘final long-term deal’. When asked how long it would take, he replied: ‘Infinity. There is no time limit. This is a forever deal.’
On Thursday, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas admitted transatlantic relations ‘took a big blow last week’ as European leaders met in Brussels.
He said that the EU is going through a turbulent period. ‘One day, one way; ‘Everything could change again the other day.’
He added that relations between the US and Europe “definitely took a big hit last week” but that Europeans “are not willing to throw away 80 years of good relations.”
After the meeting, European Council President Costa made harsh criticisms of Trump’s Peace Board.
He said the EU had ‘serious doubts’ on a number of issues, including its scope, administration and compliance with the UN charter.
He said the bloc was ‘ready to work with the United States’ on implementing the Gaza peace plan.
French president Emmanuel Macron arrived at the Brussels summit wearing the same aviator sunglasses he wore in Davos.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Donald Trump announced that an agreement was reached on Greenland in Davos
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas (pictured with Belgian prime minister Bart de Wever) admitted transatlantic relations ‘took a big blow last week’
Slovakian prime minister Robert Fico described it as a ‘super expensive dinner in Brussels’
He said: ‘I welcome the fact that we started the week with an escalation, with invasion threats and tariff threats, and have now returned to a situation that I find much more acceptable, but we remain cautious.’
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he was ‘very grateful’ for Trump’s change of stance on Greenland.
“I am also grateful that he refrained from imposing additional customs duties on February 1,” he added.
Polish prime minister Donald Tusk added: ‘Europe must certainly be united here to maintain our relations with our partners on the other side of the Atlantic, even though it is more difficult than ever.’
