BlockBeats News, January 20th: U.S. President Trump publicly stated that he would never back down on the issue of "controlling Greenland," and even raised the possibility of using force, triggering a strong backlash from European allies. The long-term security and trade alliance between the U.S. and Europe is facing a serious risk of division.
Trump posted multiple AI-generated images on social media, declaring his position of taking sovereignty over Greenland from Denmark and criticizing European allies, including France. Previously, he had threatened to impose tariffs of up to 200% on French wine and champagne, escalating trade tensions once again.
The EU is currently assessing countermeasures, including imposing tariffs on around €93 billion worth of U.S. goods and using "anti-coercion tools" to restrict U.S. companies' investments, services, and financial activities in the EU. Danish officials bluntly stated that this issue is no longer just a Danish problem but a matter concerning the entire transatlantic relationship.
Despite U.S. Treasury Secretary Benson's call for "calm," suggesting that the situation should not be overinterpreted, European Commission President von der Leyen stated at Davos that ongoing geopolitical shocks are forcing Europe to accelerate towards strategic independence.
On the market front, concerns about a renewed trade war have sparked a "sell-off of U.S. assets" sentiment, leading to a drop of over 1% in European stock markets, pressure on U.S. stock futures, a weakening U.S. dollar, and a significant increase in global safe-haven sentiment.
