Denmark on Thursday took opening shots at the Trump White House as the Nordic nation takes the reins at the European Union.
“We have war on European soil. We face trade wars, and new tariffs, and we have our closest ally, in the United States, turning increasingly inward,” said Danish European Affairs Minister Marie Bjerre. “Europe can no longer be in the shadow of the United States. We need now to stand on our own two feet.”
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Bjerre’s statement comes as Denmark launched its presidency of the European Union. Members take turns leading the 27-country coalition, rotating the leadership role every six months.
As the new nation in charge, Denmark’s targeted remarks against “trade wars and new tariffs” follow Trump’s threats to place 50% tariffs on all EU goods starting July 9 unless the two sides renegotiate trade deals more favorable to the U.S. On Thursday afternoon, EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič is having an “unexpected meeting” with the Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to close a deal averting the tariffs, according to the Guardian.
Bjerre’s angst against the U.S. also follows a rift between the Trump White House and Denmark over Greenland. The semi-autonomous Arctic island is legally attached to Denmark and is considered strategically vital for global security.
Trump has raised concerns that the island is vulnerable to malign influence from China and Russia, with the president publicly seeking to acquire the island from Denmark for “international security” purposes, sparking outrage from Danish leaders such as Bjerre over his threats to use military force to take Greenland.
“Unfortunately, leaders in both America and Denmark, I think, ignored Greenland for far too long,” Vice President J.D. Vance said in March before his visit to the island. “That’s been bad for Greenland. It’s also been bad for the security of the entire world. We think we can take things in a different direction.”
“A lot of other countries have threatened Greenland, have threatened to use its territories and its waterways to threaten the United States, to threaten Canada, and of course to threaten the people of Greenland,” he added. “We want to reinvigorate the security of the people of Greenland because we think it’s important to protecting the security of the entire world.”
As the latest leader of the European Union, Denmark’s push for Ukraine to enter the coalition could also set it at odds with the U.S.
“We must partly strengthen Ukraine. Partly weaken Russia. The first thing we do is increase military support. Ukraine is crucial for Europe’s security,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said Thursday. “The second thing we do is sanctions. We must increase the pressure on Russia.”
However, similar to Hungarian President Viktor Orbán’s arguments that Ukraine not be admitted into the EU in order for it to remain a buffer zone between Russia and NATO countries, the Trump administration has downplayed Ukraine’s hopes of gaining access to NATO alliances. And overall, Trump’s approach to Ukraine, which favors a swift resolution to its conflict with Russia, has been far different than the EU’s committment to backing Kyiv without reservation, with the Pentagon this week stopping a weapons delivery to Kyiv, pointing to low stockpiles of specific munitions in the Defense Department arsenal.
“This administration takes a very different view of that conflict,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said. “We believe that a negotiated peaceful settlement is in the best interest of both parties and our nation’s interests.”
Zelensky is attending the official ceremony marking the start of Denmark’s presidency, as he pushes to join the EU, as other members fight against his campaign.
Hungarian President Viktor Orbán has emerged as a leading opponent to Ukraine’s battle to join the EU, citing Kyiv’s war with Russia and claiming recent polling shows 95% of people in his country oppose Zelensky’s entrance into the EU.
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“If a member of the European Union is in a war, it means that the European Union is in the war, and we don’t like it,” Orbán said during an EU summit in January.
Bjerre has vowed to crush his opposition, saying “all political and practical means” will be used to persuade Hungary to lift its veto blocking Kyiv’s inclusion in the EU.