A former Irish Ambassador has said Trump tariffs over European countries’ support for Greenland “takes madness to a new level”.
Over the weekend, the President of the United States announced tariffs of 10% on eight European nations after they sent soldiers to Greenland in an act of solidarity with the Danish territory.
Mr Trump has insisted America needs "Complete and Total Control of Greenland" and refused to rule out military intervention.
An ice shelf in Greenland. Picture by: Karlheinz Schindler/dpa-Zentralbild/ZB.Denmark has warned that a US invasion would spell the end of the NATO alliance and send shockwaves across the entire western world.
On Newstalk Breakfast, former ambassador Bobby McDonagh said few could have predicted the depths transatlantic relations would sink.
“The latest threat of tariffs from Trump takes madness to a new level,” he said.
“They’re based on his absurd and illegitimate claims to Greenland and they’re part of a wider pattern of domestic and international vandalism.
“He’s threatening 100, 200% tariffs on French champagne and wine.
“And the irrationality is also reflected, for example, in his statement yesterday that the reason he was threatening military action against Greenland was because he hadn't won the peace prize.
“I mean, you couldn't make it up.”
Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance. Picture by: Jim Watson/Pool via AP.Six of the European nations threatened with US tariffs are members of the European Union and EU leaders are due to gather in Brussels and calibrate a response.
It is, Mr McDonagh said, an “existential choice” for the bloc’s 27 members.
Despite this, he believes there is still “potentially a diplomatic solution”, although he is unaware what it is.
If one is not, he predicted that Europe will have to respond to America “very strongly”.
“I'm I would say almost 100% certain that they will remain unified on this,” Mr McDonagh predicted.
“There's a really important point to make here, because sometimes I read in the media headlines, ‘Europe divided on this’, ‘Europe divided on that’.
“But of course, until they reach an agreement, they're always divided.
“I mean, there are 27 countries with different points of view, different perspectives and this is a highly sensitive issue.
“So, unity is not a preordained a priori status. Unity is something that you work towards through negotiation.”
Main image: A split of Trump and Greenland. Pictures by: Alamy.com.
