European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called for "permanent" independence from the United States on Tuesday, reflecting the deep unease hanging over the World Economic Forum.
President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak at the gathering on Wednesday amid an escalating crisis in transatlantic ties, Axios reported.
European leaders have been responding to Trump’s interest in taking control of Greenland and his threats to impose tariffs on allies who oppose the move, making it a central topic at the Davos summit.
Trump also posted what he said were private messages from NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and French President Emmanuel Macron on Truth Social.
Von der Leyen warned Trump in her speech that the EU's response to his Greenland threats would be "unflinching, united, and proportional" and signaled that the U.S.-EU trade agreement concluded last summer — and hailed by Trump at the time as "the biggest deal ever made" — would be in jeopardy if he follows through.
The EU is considering a package of 93 billion euros in retaliatory tariffs, with some European leaders encouraging the bloc to deploy an anti-coercion instrument — known as the EU's "trade bazooka" — to enforce its red lines.
Von der Leyen stressed that "in politics, as in business, a deal is a deal. And when friends shake hands, it must mean something," drawing warm applause from the Davos crowd.
She rejected any hope that relations would rapidly go back to the old normal, warning that "playing for time" would only deepen Europe's vulnerability.
Von der Leyen added that her calls last year for European "independence" were initially greeted with skepticism, but "less than one year on, there's now a real consensus around this," arguing that the speed and magnitude of Trump-era disruptions have proven her case.
"Of course, nostalgia is part of our human story, but nostalgia will not bring back the old order," von der Leyen said, laying out Europe's push to de-risk its economy, deepen its capital markets and make deals without the U.S.
Regarding Greenland, von der Leyen warned that Trump is "plunging us" into a "downward spiral" that aids Russia and China — the very adversaries that the transatlantic alliance is trying to keep out.
She said the EU is preparing a major investment package to back Greenland's local economy and infrastructure, and plans to bolster security partnerships with non-U.S. partners — such as the U.K., Canada, Norway, and Iceland.
Von der Leyen stressed that the crisis is forcing the EU to rethink its security strategy — including in the Arctic — anchored in the principle that "it is for sovereign people to decide their own future."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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