EU lawmakers urge freeze of US trade deal over Trump’s Greenland remarks

A cross-party group of European Parliament members has demanded the immediate suspension of the approval process for a proposed trade agreement with the United States, in response to renewed statements by President Donald Trump about acquiring Greenland. In a letter to Parliament President Roberta Metsola, the lawmakers urged that all consideration of the deal be frozen “for as long as claims for Greenland and threats are made by the US administration.”

Linking Trade to Territorial Sovereignty

The lawmakers described Trump’s repeated characterization of Greenland as a territory the U.S. must “acquire”—including his recent remarks framing it as an “absolute necessity” for national security—as a direct challenge to the international rules-based order and to the territorial integrity of Denmark, an EU member state. The letter argued that proceeding with the trade agreement, which was negotiated last summer and is scheduled for a plenary vote in February, would be seen as “rewarding” such threatening behavior.

Calls for a Firm Institutional Response

Beyond freezing the current agreement, which involves customs duty adjustments and tariff quotas, the signatories called on the European Parliament to clearly communicate to the European Commission, the EU Council, and Washington that it will not advance agreements with a partner that threatens EU territorial integrity. They also urged the Commission to suspend any further trade negotiations with the U.S. until such threats cease. The letter was made public by Danish MEP Per Clausen, who emphasized the need for a prompt response from EU leadership.

Broker Context: Greenland’s Strategic Significance

Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, holds strategic importance due to its Arctic location and resource wealth. Both Denmark and Greenland have firmly rejected any possibility of a sale or transfer of sovereignty. The EU lawmakers’ move underscores how geopolitical tensions over the Arctic are increasingly influencing broader transatlantic economic and diplomatic relations, placing institutional pressure on the EU to align its trade policy with its strategic autonomy and solidarity principles.