The Tánaiste has warned Donald Trump that “he doesn't hold all the cards”, as tensions between the US and Europe ramp up. 

The US President has announced additional tariffs on goods imported from eight European nations who sent soldiers to Greenland in a show of solidarity. 

Mr Trump declared the United States needs "Complete and Total Control of Greenland" and has hinted he will send troops if necessary. 

On The Pat Kenny Show, Simon Harris described it as an “extraordinarily dangerous time” for the entire world. 

 “If we were to get to a point where Greenland was annexed in any manner or means, it would be a real Rubicon moment, an existential moment,” he said. 

“Where discussions wouldn't simply be about what level of tariff or what would the impact on trade be, but it would be a moment that would fundamentally alter the transatlantic relationship.”

Western Greenland. Picture by: Alamy.com.

European leaders are meeting in Brussels tomorrow to calibrate the bloc’s response. 

Some, such as France, want the European Union to take a tough stance against Washington, potentially even deploying the ‘anti-coercion instrument’ against US tech. 

“Let's be very clear here, he doesn't hold all the cards,” Minister Harris said. 

“I was in the United States last week talking to some of the biggest multinational companies in the world - they still need to and want to do business with the European Union.

“They need access to a market of more than 400 million people and the transatlantic relationship isn't a one way relationship. 

“And we've seen in the past when President Trump went on his kind of tariff adventurism, the impact that it very quickly had on markets and very quickly had on US workers in terms of their own pension funds and the like.” 

Donald Trump shakes hands with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Picture by: The White House.

Minister Harris added that Ireland would do everything possible to try and “work our way through this calmly, logically with European partners”. 

However, he warned that any tariffs on US goods imported into Ireland would have a negative impact on the Irish economy. 

“I can absolutely tell you as this country's Finance Minister, had we seen kind of tit for tat tariffs or retaliatory tariffs by the European Union, while it might have made people feel better for a few minutes, and that we were ‘standing up to the Trump administration’, it would have had significant economic consequences here as well,” he said. 

“So, there does need to be, I suppose, both principle and pragmatism in terms of how you engage with this very challenging situation.” 

Despite this, Minister Harris insisted the EU would show “strength and resolve” in its dealings with America. 

“I genuinely believe when you strip away the bombast, when you strip away the noise, when you strip away the Truth Social posts and the behaviour… When you strip away all of that, the reality is the United States still requires Europe economically and requires Canada economically,” he argued. 

“And if we all work together and pull together in terms of a response, that will have an impact.”

Main image: A split of Simon Harris and Donald Trump. Pictures by: Rolling News and Alamy.