MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
European leaders are using both threats and flattery, trying to stop President Trump from pursuing Greenland - or at least stop him from punishing them with tariffs for those attempts. Trump has been sharing leaders' private messages to him about Greenland on his Truth Social. In a few minutes, we'll hear from Democratic Senator Chris Coons, who's in Davos, where many of those leaders are meeting. He's also just wrapped up a congressional visit to Denmark about Greenland. But we're going to start with the latest from NPR's Eleanor Beardsley in Paris. Eleanor, good morning. Thanks for joining us.
ELEANOR BEARDSLEY, BYLINE: Good morning, Michel.
MARTIN: So Trump threatened tariffs over the weekend against eight European countries who supported Greenland, and there have been more developments. So bring us up to date.
BEARDSLEY: Well, yeah. Overnight here, Trump shared private messages from French President Emmanuel Macron, which the Elysee has confirmed this morning are genuine, and NATO head Mark Rutte. Both men compliment Trump on all the good things he's accomplished but basically say, hey, what's going on with Greenland? Let's work this out. And Macron invites Trump to a dinner and a mini G7 summit on Thursday in Paris after Davos to do so. But we're also seeing an avalanche of condemnation coming from every corner of Europe and unity among Europeans over Trump's threats of 10% tariffs on those eight NATO nations - European NATO nations by February 1 if they try to impede his Greenland takeover.
You know, yesterday, the finance ministers of Germany and France spoke to the media. They were in Brussels for an urgent meeting. And here is French Finance Minister Roland Lescure.
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ROLAND LESCURE: I think we both agree we're living through uncharted territories. We've never seen this before. An ally - a friend of 250 years - is considering using tariffs as a geopolitical weapon.
MARTIN: You can kind of hear the outrage there. So how is Europe planning to push back?
BEARDSLEY: Well, the EU is a market of 450 million consumers. And they plan to use that power of that market, said EU Parliamentarian Nathalie Loiseau, who I spoke with this morning. Loiseau said the parliament will not ratify as planned the U.S.-EU trade deal negotiated last summer, where there were zero tariffs on U.S. products. She said the EU is ready to trigger $100 billion worth of tariffs on U.S. imports if Trump continues. Here she is.
NATHALIE LOISEAU: He doesn't use the Atlantic Alliance to make us stronger against adversaries like Russia. He uses the alliance to try to pressure us in order to grab territory in Europe. This is unprecedented and, of course, unacceptable.
MARTIN: Is the idea for Europe to fully break with the U.S.?
BEARDSLEY: Well, some Europeans seem ready to face that, even if they certainly hope not. So as much as they talk tough, they are still trying to make it work with Trump. You know, French President Emmanuel Macron called Trump his friend in one of those messages Trump shared on Truth Social. And NATO Chief Mark Rutte flattered Trump, saying he couldn't wait to see him in Davos, Switzerland, this week. Even the British have been targeted by Trump. Their special relationship and those royal visits they offered Trump have not spared them. Let's listen to British MP Ed Davey speaking in Parliament yesterday. He said Britain must act in solidarity with its European allies to counter Trump.
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ED DAVEY: President Trump is acting like an international gangster...
UNIDENTIFIED POLITICIANS: Hear, hear.
DAVEY: ...Threatening to trample over the sovereignty of an ally, threatening the end of NATO altogether and now threatening to hit our country and seven European allies with outrageous, damaging tariffs, unless he gets his hands on Greenland.
BEARDSLEY: So, you know, Britain voted Brexit, you know, just a few years ago, but now they are getting closer and closer to Europe. A few hours ago, President Trump posted a meme of him raising an American flag on Greenland alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance.
MARTIN: So doubling down, at least...
BEARDSLEY: Yeah. Exactly.
MARTIN: ...On Truth Social. That is NPR's Eleanor Beardsley. Eleanor, thank you.
BEARDSLEY: You're welcome, Michel. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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