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Key allies reacted coolly Monday to US President Donald Trump’s invite to pay $1 billion for a permanent spot on his “Board of Peace” for resolving international conflicts, with analysts likening it to a pay-to-play version of the UN Security Council.The White House has asked various world leaders to sit on the board, chaired by Trump himself, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hungarian premier Viktor Orban and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.The board’s charter, seen by AFP, says that member countries will serve no longer than three years, subject to renewal by the chairman. That is unless they “contribute more than USD $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force.”The initial reaction from two key allies, France and Canada, was lukewarm.”At this stage, France cannot accept,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said Monday during a debate with French lawmakers, noting that the board’s charter goes beyond the scope of rebuilding and running post-war Gaza endorsed by the United Nations. He added that it is “incompatible with France’s international commitments and in particular its membership in the United Nations, which obviously cannot be called into question under any circumstances.”France is one of the five veto-wielding, permanent members of the UN Security Council, along with the United States, China, Russia and Britain.A Canadian government source said Ottawa will not pay to be on the board, and hasn’t gotten a request to pay, after Prime Minister Mark Carney indicated he would accept an invitation to join. Paul Williams, professor of international affairs at George Washington University, told AFP that the offer of permanent membership for $1 billion showed Trump is “trying to turn it into a pay-to-play alternative to the UN Security Council but where Trump alone exercises veto power.”The charter, which in fact does not mention Gaza, describes the board as “an international organization that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict.”- ‘Failed institutions’ -The charter appears to take a swipe at the United Nations, saying that the new board should have “the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed.”Trump has regularly criticized the United Nations and announced this month that his country will withdraw from 66 global organizations and treaties — roughly half affiliated with the UN.The world body — which suffers chronic funding shortfalls and political deadlock in the Security Council — pushed back Monday.La Neice Collins, spokesperson for the president of the UN General Assembly, told reporters “there is one universal, multilateral organization to deal with peace and security issues, and that is the United Nations.”Daniel Forti at the International Crisis Group, a think tank, said at least 60 countries have reportedly been invited to the Board of Peace. He said some may view it as a way to curry favor with Trump, but many member states would see it as power grab.”Actively buying permanent seats in an exclusive club sends a very worrying signal about what transactional and deals-based international diplomacy may mean in the future,” he told AFP.Trump would have the power to remove member states from the board, subject to a veto by two-third of members, and to choose his replacement should he leave his role as chairman.Ian Lesser at the German Marshall Fund think tank told AFP he would be surprised if many countries are willing to sign up “at a time when most are focused on preserving the existing multilateral institutions.”  The White House said there would be a main board, a Palestinian committee of technocrats meant to govern devastated Gaza, and a second “executive board” that appears designed to have a more advisory role.Trump has named as board members Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former British prime minister Tony Blair, senior negotiator Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.Israel has objected to the line-up of a “Gaza executive board” to operate under the body, which includes Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi.

Key allies reacted coolly Monday to US President Donald Trump’s invite to pay $1.0 billion for a permanent spot on his “Board of Peace” for resolving international conflicts, with analysts likening it to a pay-to-play version of the UN Security Council.The White House has asked various world leaders to sit on the board, chaired by Trump himself, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hungarian premier Viktor Orban and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.The board’s charter, seen by AFP, says that member countries will serve no longer than three years, subject to renewal by the chairman. That is unless they “contribute more than USD $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force.”The initial reaction from two key allies, France and Canada, was lukewarm.France “does not intend to answer favorably,” a source close to President Emmanuel Macron told AFP on Monday, noting that the board’s charter goes beyond its initial purpose of rebuilding and running post-war Gaza. In fact, the charter does not mention Gaza. “It raises major questions, particularly regarding respect for the principles and structure of the United Nations, which under no circumstances can be called into question,” the source, speaking on condition of anonymity, added.France is one of the five veto-wielding, permanent members of the UN Security Council, along with the United States, China, Russia and Britain.A Canadian government source said Ottawa will not pay to be on the board, and hasn’t gotten a request to pay, after Prime Minister Mark Carney indicated he would accept an invitation to join. Paul Williams, professor of international affairs at George Washington University, told AFP that the Security Council resolution approved in October endorsing Trump’s Gaza peace plan only granted the Board of Peace authority related to Gaza.  He added that the offer of permanent membership for $1 billion showed Trump is “trying to turn it into a pay-to-play alternative to the UN Security Council but where Trump alone exercises veto power.”The board’s charter describes it as “an international organization that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict.”- ‘Failed institutions’ -The charter appears to take a swipe at the United Nations, saying that the new board should have “the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed.”Trump has regularly criticized the United Nations and announced this month that his country will withdraw from 66 global organizations and treaties — roughly half affiliated with the UN.The world body — which suffers chronic funding shortfalls and political deadlock in the Security Council — pushed back Monday.La Neice Collins, spokesperson for the president of the UN General Assembly, told reporters “there is one universal, multilateral organization to deal with peace and security issues, and that is the United Nations.”Daniel Forti at the International Crisis Group, a think tank, said at least 60 countries have reportedly been invited to the Board of Peace. He said some may view it as a way to curry favor with Trump, but many member states would see it as power grab.”Actively buying permanent seats in an exclusive club sends a very worrying signal about what transactional and deals-based international diplomacy may mean in the future,” he told AFP.Trump would have the power to remove member states from the board, subject to a veto by two-third of members, and to choose his replacement should he leave his role as chairman.Ian Lesser at the German Marshall Fund think tank told AFP he would be surprised if many countries are willing to sign up “at a time when most are focused on preserving the existing multilateral institutions.”  The White House said there would be a main board, a Palestinian committee of technocrats meant to govern devastated Gaza, and a second “executive board” that appears designed to have a more advisory role.Trump has named as board members Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former British prime minister Tony Blair, senior negotiator Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.Israel has objected to the line-up of a “Gaza executive board” to operate under the body, which includes Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi.

The leader of global rights group Amnesty International urged European countries Monday to stop “appeasing” US President Donald Trump and resist him and other “bullies” who she said were intent on destroying the rules-based order in place since World War II.”We need much more resistance,” Amnesty secretary general Agnes Callamard told AFP in an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.”Europe’s credibility is at stake.”Her comments came as Trump doubled down on his threats to take over Greenland “one way or the other”, insisting such a move is necessary for world security, prompting European countries to close ranks against his designs on the vast Danish territory.German and French leaders denounced as “blackmail” Trump’s weekend threats to wield new tariffs against countries which oppose his plans for the Arctic island, suggesting Europe was preparing trade countermeasures.But German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who was due to meet Trump in Davos on Wednesday, also stressed that Europe was eager to “avoid any escalation” in the dispute.- ‘Say no’ -Callamard urged governments to show more “courage” and to “say no”.”Stop thinking you can make deals with bullies, stop thinking you can agree to the rules of the predators and not become yourself a victim of them.”The Amnesty chief highlighted that the US bid to seize Greenland was only the latest indication that the world is facing the “destruction of the rules-based order”.She lamented that global and regional “superpowers” seemed “intent on destroying what has been established after World War II, dedicated to finding common rules to our common problems”.Since Trump’s return to the White House a year ago, he has taken “a range of decisions that have led to the demise of many rules around the world”, while Russia was destroying the system “through its aggression in Ukraine”, she said.European powers have been treading a thin line over Ukraine in recent months, relying on Washington to try to help settle the conflict but resisting terms too favourable to Moscow.The post-WWII order “is also being destroyed by Israel that has completely ignored international law in its genocide of Palestinians in Gaza,” she added.Amnesty and other rights groups have repeatedly accused Israel of carrying out a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, a term vehemently rejected by the Israeli government. Callamard stressed that the rules-based order was established in response to “a global war that had killed millions of people, as a response to extermination camps that had killed six million Jews, as a response to authoritarianism that had led to the most daunting global repression the world over”.- ‘Abyss’ -“The fact that it is now being destroyed without any plan B, just for the sake of destroying the rules, should send shivers to all of us,” she said, warning that the only alternative to the rules-based system was “falling down into an abyss”.”That’s what we need to prevent.”The Davos gathering this year is taking place under the tagline “A Spirit of Dialogue”, but Callamard warned “there is no evidence of dialogue” currently among the world’s decision-makers.”There is evidence of bullying. There is evidence of destruction. There is evidence of countries using their military power, their economic power, to force others into agreeing to their one-sided deals.”Such tactics had for the past 12 months been met with European “appeasement”.”We have sought to appease the bully, the predator living in Washington,” she said.”Where has this led us? To more and more attacks, to more and more threats.”Callamard, who is French, recalled that the European project was not just about economics, but also about values, humanity and the rule of law.”I’m hoping that our leaders will recall that… history and see in the current challenges a way of re-insisting on the European project and demanding human rights protection for the sake of humanity,” she said.”That demands stopping the appeasement politics, (which) simply is not working”. “Please stop it. Resist. Resist.”

Donald Trump no longer needs to think “purely of peace” after being snubbed for a Nobel, the US president said in comments published Monday, adding the world will not be safe until Washington controls Greenland.Trump has put the transatlantic alliance to the test with threats to take over Greenland “one way or the other”, as European countries close ranks against Washington’s designs on the vast Danish autonomous territory.German and French leaders denounced as “blackmail” weekend threats by Trump to wield new tariffs against countries which oppose his plans for the Arctic island.They said Monday that Europe was preparing trade countermeasures — though US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, asked by AFP about potential retaliatory tariffs, warned: “I think it would be very unwise”.The European Union said it was holding an emergency summit on Thursday to weigh its response, and that while its priority is to “engage not escalate” it is ready to act if needed. Greenland, for its part, said the tariffs threat does not change its desire to assert its own sovereignty. “We will not be pressured,” Greenlandic prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a Facebook post, adding that the autonomous territory “is a democratic society with the right to make its own decisions”.But Trump had earlier doubled down, announcing in a message to Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store that the world “is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland”.The message — published Monday and whose authenticity was confirmed to AFP by Store’s office — also saw Trump brush aside peace as a primary goal.”I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace,” he said, citing his failure to win the last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, despite openly coveting it.He said although peace would still be “predominant,” he could “now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America.” Store said the statement had been received in response to a message from him and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, where they had “conveyed our opposition” to Trump’s tariff threats.Store also underlined that the Nobel Peace Prize was not awarded by the Norwegian government.”I have clearly explained, including to President Trump what is well known — the prize is awarded by an independent Nobel Committee,” he said in a written statement.Bessent, speaking in response to a question from AFP at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, dismissed any link between the Prize and Trump’s plans for Greenland. “I think it’s a complete canard that the president will be doing this because of the Nobel Prize,” he said.- ‘Blackmail’ -Trump has repeatedly said his country needs vast, mineral-rich Greenland for “national security”, despite the United States already having a base on the island and security agreements with fellow NATO ally Denmark. “Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China,” Trump said in his message to the Norwegian premier, doubling down on that sentiment in a post to Truth Social on Monday.”Why do they have a ‘right of ownership’ anyway? There are no written documents, it’s only that a boat landed there hundreds of years ago, but we had boats landing there, also,” he said in his message to Store.Denmark’s defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen said Monday steps had already been taken along with NATO allies to increase its military presence in the region.This weekend, Trump said that from February 1, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland would be subject to a 10-percent tariff on all goods sent to the United States — a duty which could go higher.Germany’s vice chancellor Lars Klingbeil slammed the move as blackmail, and said Monday that Europe was preparing countermeasures.French finance minister Roland Lescure, speaking at a press conference alongside Kingbeil, agreed.”Blackmail between allies of 250 years, blackmail between friends, is obviously unacceptable,” Lecurse said.Europe’s stock markets fell as the week’s trading began Monday, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer warning that a “trade war is in no one’s interest”.Greenland — whose tiny population of 57,000 has voiced disquiet at Trump’s threats — continued to make its preferences clear.Greenland’s dogsled federation said that the new US special envoy to the island had been disinvited to its annual race. Jeff Landry had been invited to attend the race by a private Greenlandic tour operator, an invite the KNQK federation has previously called “totally inappropriate”.burs-jll/st

US President Donald Trump’s government has asked countries to pay $1 billion for a permanent spot on his “Board of Peace” aimed at resolving conflicts, according to its charter seen by AFP.The board was originally conceived to oversee the rebuilding of war-torn Gaza, but the charter does not appear to limit its role to the occupied Palestinian territory.What exactly will it do? And who has been invited?- To what end? -The Board of Peace will be chaired by Trump, according to its founding charter.It is “an international organization that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict”, reads the preamble of the charter sent to countries invited to participate. It will “undertake such peace-building functions in accordance with international law”, it adds.- Who’s boss? -Trump will be chairman but also “separately serve as inaugural representative of the United States of America”.”The Chairman shall have exclusive authority to create, modify, or dissolve subsidiary entities as necessary or appropriate to fulfill the Board of Peace’s mission,” the document states.He will pick members of an Executive Board to be “leaders of global stature” to “serve two-year terms, subject to removal by the Chairman”.He may also, “acting on behalf of the Board of Peace”, “adopt resolutions or other directives”.The chairman can be replaced only in case of “voluntary resignation or as a result of incapacity”.- Who can be a member? -Member states have to be invited by the US president, and will be represented by their head of state or government.Each member “shall serve a term of no more than three years”, the charter says.But “the three-year membership term shall not apply to Member States that contribute more than USD $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force”, it adds.The board will “convene voting meetings at least annually”, and “each member State shall have one vote”.But while all decisions require “a majority of Member States present and voting”, they will also be “subject to the approval of the Chairman, who may also cast a vote in his capacity as Chairman in the event of a tie”.- Who’s already in? -The White House has said its members will include:US President Donald Trump, chairUS Secretary of State Marco RubioSteve Witkoff, Trump’s special negotiatorJared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-lawTony Blair, former UK prime ministerMarc Rowan, billionaire US financierAjay Banga, World Bank president Robert Gabriel, loyal Trump aide on the National Security Council – Who’s been invited? -The list of countries and leaders who say they have been invited include, but are not limited to:Russia’s President Vladimir PutinCanada’s Prime Minister Mark CarneyEgypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-SisiArgentina’s President Javier MileiJordanBrazilParaguayIndiaPakistanGermanyFranceItalyHungaryRomaniaUzbekistanBelarus- When does it start? -The charter says it enters into force “upon expression of consent to be bound by three States”.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday said Europe wants to “avoid escalation” over US President Donald Trump’s threatened tariffs on countries that oppose his designs on Greenland.Trump shook Europe on Saturday when he vowed to slap EU members Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden — and non-members Britain and Norway — with extra levies unless Greenland is ceded to the United States.Germany and other European countries agreed “that we want to avoid any escalation in this dispute if at all possible”, Merz said, adding that he would seek to meet Trump at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday.”We simply want to try to resolve this problem together, and the American government knows that we could also retaliate. I don’t want to, but if necessary, we will of course protect our European interests as well as our German national interests.”Leaders from the 27-nation bloc will hold an emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday to discuss their response to one of the gravest crises in years to hit transatlantic ties.Merz said the threatened tariffs would harm both the United States and Europe.”Customs duties are usually paid by those in the country where the imports are received –- in this case, American consumers,” Merz said. “But (the tariffs) would also, of course, damage our economy, the European economy and, in particular, the German economy.”German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil had earlier struck a harder tone, saying Europe “will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed”.”Europe will respond with a united, clear response, and we are now preparing countermeasures together with our European partners,” Klingbeil said at a Berlin press conference alongside the French economy and finance minister, Roland Lescure.- ‘United, clear response’ -Klingbeil, who is also Germany’s finance minister, said Europe’s response could have three main strands. First, the current tariff deal with the United States would be put on hold. Second, European tariffs on imports from the United States, currently suspended until early February, could come into force.And third, the EU should consider its powerful so-called anti-coercion instrument against Washington, he said.Lescure agreed that Trump’s threat amounted to “blackmail”.”Blackmail between allies of 250 years, blackmail between friends, is obviously unacceptable,” said the French minister.”We Europeans must remain united and coordinated in our response and, above all, be prepared to make full use of the instruments” of the European Union, he said. “We are determined to defend our sovereignty.”Klingbeil stressed that the “limit has been reached” when it came to the US leader making threats. “We are constantly experiencing a new confrontation that President Trump is seeking,” he said.

US President Donald Trump’s government has asked countries to pay $1.0 billion for a permanent spot on his “Board of Peace” aimed at resolving conflicts, according to its charter, seen Monday by AFP. The White House has asked various world leaders to sit on the board, chaired by Trump himself, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hungarian premier Viktor Orban and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.Member countries — represented on the board by their head of state — would be allowed to join for three years — or longer if they paid more than $1.0 billion within the first year, the charter says.”Each Member State shall serve a term of no more than three years from this Charter’s entry into force, subject to renewal by the Chairman,” the board’s draft charter says.”The three-year membership term shall not apply to Member States that contribute more than USD $1,000,000,000 in cash funds to the Board of Peace within the first year of the Charter’s entry into force.”The board was originally conceived to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza, but its charter does not appear to limit its role to the occupied Palestinian territory.The White House said there would be a main board, a Palestinian committee of technocrats meant to govern devastated Gaza, and a second “executive board” that appears designed to have a more advisory role.”The Board of Peace is an international organization that seeks to promote stability, restore dependable and lawful governance, and secure enduring peace in areas affected or threatened by conflict,” the charter says.- ‘Failed institutions’ -It appears to take a swipe at international institutions such as the United Nations, saying that the board should have “the courage to depart from approaches and institutions that have too often failed.”Trump has regularly criticized the United Nations and announced this month that his country will withdraw from 66 global organizations and treaties — roughly half affiliated with the UN.Membership of the board would be “limited to States invited to participate by the Chairman,” according to the draft charter.Trump would have the power to remove member states from the board, subject to a veto by two-third of members, and choose his replacement should he leave his role as chairman.The “Board of Peace” began to take shape on Saturday when the leaders of Egypt, Turkey, Argentina and Canada were asked to join.Trump also named as members Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former British prime minister Tony Blair, senior negotiator Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner.Israel has objected to the line-up of a “Gaza executive board” to operate under the body, which includes Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi.

Donald Trump no longer needs to think “purely of peace” after being snubbed for a Nobel, the US president said in comments published Monday, adding the world will not be safe until Washington controls Greenland.Trump has put the transatlantic alliance to the test with threats to take over Greenland “one way or the other”, with European countries closing ranks against Washington’s designs on the vast Danish territory.German and French leaders denounced as “blackmail” weekend threats by Trump to wield new tariffs against countries which oppose his plans for the Arctic island, and said Monday that Europe was preparing trade countermeasures.The European Union said it was holding an emergency summit on Thursday to weigh its response, and that while its priority is to “engage not escalate” it is ready to act if needed. Greenland, for its part, said the tariffs threat does not change its desire to assert its own sovereignty. “We will not be pressured,” Greenlandic prime minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said in a Facebook post, adding that the autonomous territory “is a democratic society with the right to make its own decisions”.But Trump had earlier doubled down, announcing in a message to Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store that the world “is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland”.The message — published Monday and whose authenticity was confirmed to AFP by Store’s office — also saw Trump brush aside peace as a primary goal.”I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace,” he said, citing his failure to win the last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, despite openly coveting it.He said although peace would still be “predominant,” he could “now think about what is good and proper for the United States of America.” Store said the statement had been received in response to a message from him and Finnish President Alexander Stubb, where they had “conveyed our opposition” to Trump’s tariff threats.Store also underlined that the Nobel Peace Prize was not awarded by the Norwegian government.”I have clearly explained, including to President Trump what is well known — the prize is awarded by an independent Nobel Committee,” he said in a written statement.- Russia, China threat? -Trump has repeatedly said his country needs vast, mineral-rich Greenland for “national security”, despite the United States already having a base on the island and security agreements with fellow NATO ally Denmark. “Denmark cannot protect that land from Russia or China,” Trump said in his message to the Norwegian premier, doubling down on that sentiment in a post to Truth Social on Monday.Denmark’s defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen said Monday steps had already been taken along with NATO allies to “increase military presence and training activity in the Arctic and the North Atlantic”.Lund Poulsen added that he and Greenlandic foreign minister Vivian Motzfeldt would be meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte later on Monday.- ‘Blackmail’ -This weekend, Trump said that from February 1, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Finland would be subject to a 10-percent tariff on all goods sent to the United States — a duty which could go higher.Germany’s vice chancellor Lars Klingbeil slammed the move as blackmail, and said Monday that Europe was preparing countermeasures.French finance minister Roland Lescure, speaking at a press conference alongside Kingbeil, agreed.”Blackmail between allies of 250 years, blackmail between friends, is obviously unacceptable,” Lecurse said.Klingbeil said Europe’s response could have three main strands. First, the current tariff deal with the United States would be put on hold, he said. Second, European tariffs on imports from the United States, currently suspended until early February, could come into force.And thirdly the EU should consider using its toolbox of instruments against “economic blackmail”, he added.Europe’s stock markets fell as the week’s trading began Monday, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer warning that a “trade war is in no one’s interest”.Greenland — whose tiny population of 57,000 has voiced disquiet at Trump’s threats — continued to make its preferences clear Monday.Greenland’s dogsled federation said that the new US special envoy to the Arctic island had been disinvited to its annual race. Jeff Landry had been invited to attend the race by a private Greenlandic tour operator, an invite the KNQK federation has previously called “totally inappropriate”.burs-jll/st

Greenland’s dogsled federation said Monday that the new US special envoy to the Arctic island had been disinvited to its annual race, as Washington repeatedly threatens to take over the autonomous Danish territory.Jeff Landry had been invited to attend the race by a private Greenlandic tour operator, an invite the KNQK federation has previously called “totally inappropriate”.”KNQK has been informed that the tourism company that invited Governor Jeff Landry from the United States has unilaterally withdrawn its invitation,” it wrote on Facebook overnight Sunday to Monday. “This is reassuring,” it added. A year ago, US Vice President JD Vance’s wife Usha Vance had planned to attend the dogsled race during an uninvited visit to Greenland.Her plans were cancelled amid strong opposition in Denmark, and replaced by a visit with her husband JD Vance and a delegation to the US Pitiffuk military base in the northwest of the island.

Europe is preparing countermeasures against US President Donald Trump’s “blackmail” after he threatened tariffs against several countries over their opposition to his designs on Greenland, Germany’s vice chancellor said Monday. “We will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed,” said Lars Klingbeil, at a Berlin press conference alongside the French economy and finance minister, Roland Lescure.”Europe will respond with a united, clear response, and we are now preparing countermeasures together with our European partners.”Trump vowed on Saturday to hit European countries — including Denmark, of which Greenland is an autonomous territory — with tariffs of up to 25 percent unless Greenland is ceded to the United States. Britain, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden already hit back at the threat in a joint statement at the weekend.Klingbeil said Europe’s response could have three main strands. First, the current tariff deal with the United States would be put on hold, he said. Second, European tariffs on imports from the United States, currently suspended until early February, could come into force, said Klingbeil, who is also Germany’s finance minister.And thirdly the EU should consider using its toolbox of instruments that can be deployed to respond to “economic blackmail” against Washington, he added.Lescure agreed with Klingbeil that Trump’s threat amounted to “blackmail”.”Blackmail between allies of 250 years, blackmail between friends, is obviously unacceptable,” said the French minister.”We Europeans must remain united and coordinated in our response and, above all, be prepared to make full use of the instruments” of the European Union, he said. “We are determined to defend our sovereignty.”Lescure said a meeting of G7 finance ministers would be convened in the coming days to discuss pressing issues, including Greenland. France is the current chair of the grouping, and the United States is a member.Klingbeil stressed that the “limit has been reached” when it came to the US leader making threats. “We are constantly experiencing a new confrontation that President Trump is seeking,” he said.