NATO allies rush to Berlin and Paris for emergency | Political News

Several NATO allies are converging on Berlin and Paris this week for an emergency assembly to talk about the destiny of Greenland, the semi-autonomous island nation owned by Denmark that’s been the goal of Donald Trump.

European leaders are now scrambling to work out how to deal with an emboldened American president as they edge nearer to saying “no” to his demand for their territory.

Trump’s vow to take over Greenland and punish anybody who resists appears to have been the turning level for many European leaders.

Many said Trump crossed “red lines” this yr when he abruptly revised his calls for that the U.S. must “absolutely” rule Greenland. That pushed even mild-mannered diplomats to issue sharp warnings against Trump, whom they’d beforehand flattered with royal treatment and fawning reward.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and Greenland’s chief Jens-Frederik Nielsen will now meet with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday and with French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday, according to official schedules.

Both are anticipated to talk about “the current foreign policy situation and the need for a strengthened Europe in the meetings, according to the Danish prime minister’s office.

Last week in Davos, Switzerland, other European leaders reaffirmed their support for one another as some called out the blackmail they said Trump is attempting.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said “Britain is not going to yield” its support for Greenland’s sovereignty, with several others saying, “Europe is not going to be blackmailed” over Greenland.

“Threats have no place among allies,” Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre added.

The tough diplomatic talk around the showdown last week in Davos, Switzerland, was not the only factor pressuring Trump. U.S. congressional elections are approaching in November amid a sinking stock market and wilting approval ratings. European leaders also are not the first to stand in Trump’s way during his second term — see Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

But the dramatic turnabout among Europe’s elite, from “appeasing” Trump to defying him, offers clues in the ongoing effort among some nations of how to say “no” to a president who hates hearing it and is known to retaliate.

“We need a piece of ice for world safety, and they gained’t give it,” Trump told his audience at the World Economic Forum. “You can say yes, and we shall be very appreciative. Or you may say no, and we are going to bear in mind.”