European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks in Asuncion, Paraguay, January 17, 2026. REUTERS/Cesar Olmedo
Leaders and diplomats within the European Union are said to be in "crisis mode" and contending with a grim mood as Donald Trump refuses to back down from his increasingly hostile threats about seizing Greenland.
According to a Tuesday report from Euractiv, things have taken a turn for the chaotic in the European Commission, the EU's Brussels-based executive governing body, as "Trump’s ravenous appetite for Greenland is spooking even the most unflappable corners of the EU machinery." As Trump has refused to rule out using military force on the island territory and pledged tariffs against nations that oppose his desire, Euractiv's report found that the EU had moved into "frantic de-escalation mode," looking for solutions to avert a brewing trade war, or even a real war.
All eyes are now resting on the annual World Economic Forum meeting, which will see political and corporate leaders from around the globe descend on Davos, Switzerland, for high-profile meetings. European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, are hopeful that they might be able to " talk Trump down" while meeting with him Tuesday and Wednesday.
Leaders will meet on Thursday to discuss the Greenland situation, among numerous other pressing matters. Sources who spoke to Euractiv suggested that it was unlikely that any substantial consensus would be reached by then, with one anonymous diplomat suggesting that it would "mainly be an exercise in reading the room." During a meeting on Monday, leaders appeared divided on whether to pursue a more aggressive response or to exercise "restraint."
France, the report noted, has been among the most aggressive nations in responding to the situation. French President Emmanuel Macron this week turned down an offer to join Trump's proposed "Board of Peace" for managing the rebuilding of Gaza. French leaders have also been advocating for the EU to deploy its "trade bazooka," a nickname given to the alliance's anti-coercion instrument, implemented in 2023 as a means to combat perceived economic coercion from outside nations.
If implemented, the instrument would allow the EU to enact a wide range of options to stem or outright halt the flow of imports into its member nations, and to restrict the foreign investments and the sharing of intellectual property rights, inflicting considerable economic damage as a result.
"For now, European leaders appear focused on buying time in the World Economic Forum, hoping that containment rather than confrontation will carry them through the week — and that Trump doesn’t escalate matters further in his own Davos speech on Wednesday," the Euractiv report concluded.