Trump's threats challenge Europe's security and prosperity, EU chief says ahead of summit

BRUSSELS (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to annex Greenland and impose tariffs on its backers pose a challenge to Europe’s security, principles and prosperity, European Council President António Costa said on Wednesday.

“All these three dimensions are being tested in the current moment of transatlantic relations,” said Costa, who has convened an emergency summit of the leaders of all 27 European Union member states on Thursday.

Trump’s determination to “ acquire ” Greenland — a mineral-rich, semiautonomous Danish territory in the Arctic region — for what he claims are security reasons, has undermined trust in the United States among allies in Europe and Canada.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum later on Wednesday, Trump might have eased some concerns when he made clear for the first time that he would not use force to seize Greenland, saying: “I won’t do that. Okay?”

Denmark angered Trump after sending a military “reconnaissance” force to Greenland. A small numbers of troops from several European nations joined, and Denmark is weighing a longer-term military presence there.

Costa said EU leaders are united on “the principles of international law, territorial integrity and national sovereignty,” something the bloc has underlined in defending Ukraine against invasion by Russia, and which is now threatened in Greenland.

In a speech to EU lawmakers in Strasbourg, France, he also stressed that only “Denmark and Greenland can decide their future.”

Costa said that “we stand ready to defend ourselves, our member states, our citizens, our companies, against any form of coercion. And the European Union has the power and the tools to do so.”

He also insisted that “further tariffs would undermine transatlantic relations and are incompatible with the EU-US trade agreement.” The lawmakers must endorse that deal made last July, but it's now been put on hold.

Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee, said Trump is still “using tariffs as a coercive instrument.”

“Until the threats are over, there will be no possibility for compromise,” Lange said, describing tariffs as “an attack against the economic and territorial sovereignty and integrity of the European Union.”

EU leaders have been galvanized by Trump’s threats over Greenland, and are rethinking their relations with America, their longtime ally and the most powerful member of NATO.

“Appeasement is always a sign of weakness. Europe cannot afford to be weak — neither against its enemies, nor ally,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, long a staunch supporter of strong transatlantic ties, posted on social media on Tuesday.

“Appeasement means no results, only humiliation. European assertiveness and self-confidence have become the need of the moment,” Tusk wrote.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who manages trade on behalf of the EU, warned that the bloc is “at a crossroads.”

Should tariffs come, she said, “we are fully prepared to act, if necessary, with unity, urgency and determination.”

In Strasbourg, she told the lawmakers that the commission is working on “a massive European investment surge in Greenland” to beef up its economy and infrastructure, as well as a new European security strategy.

Security around the island itself should be boosted with partners like the U.K., Canada, Norway and Iceland, among others, von der Leyen said.

Despite Trump apparently backing off from military threats, Greenland’s government Wednesday told its citizens to be prepared as it published a handbook on what to do in a crisis.

The guide -- in Greenlandic and Danish -- does not reference any threat from the U.S. and directs Greenlanders to ensure they have sufficient supplies at home to be able to survive for five days. The guide is similar to one published by Nordic nations Finland, Norway and Sweden and recommends people have three liters (0.8 gallons) of water per person per day, canned food and fuel as well as hunting and medical supplies.

“We just went to the grocery store and bought the supplies,” Tony Jakobsen in Greenland’s capital Nuuk said, showing AP the contents of bags which included candles, snacks and toilet roll. Jakobsen said he thought Trump’s rhetoric toward Greenland was “just threats... but it’s better to be ready than not ready.”

Speaking in Davos, Trump described Greenland as a strategic piece of ice which is largely uninhabited.

It’s “insulting” that Trump “talks about the Greenlandic people and the Greenlandic nation as just an ice cube,” Johnny Hedemann told AP.

Hedemann spoke as he was on the way to the shops to buy a camping stove and mashed potatoes which “you can just add water to.” A few years ago, he said, Nuuk had no power for several days and that was “a taster” of what could happen.

“Living in this nature, you have to be prepared for almost anything. And now there’s another threat -- and that’s Trump,” he added.

Hedemann also said he thought it unlikely that Trump would take Greenland by force but agreed it is best to be prepared because “with this lunatic, you don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. He can make things very bad for everyone.”

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Burrows reported from Nuuk, Greenland

President Donald Trump speaks during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen talks during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

An Aurora Borealis is seen in the sky above Nuuk, Greenland, on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Greenland Minister for Foreign Affairs and Research Vivian Motzfeldt, center right, hugs a woman after arriving at the airport in Nuuk, Greenland, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

FILE - President Donald Trump and Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store shake hands during the group photo at the Gaza International Peace Summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Oct.13 2025. (Yoan Valat, Pool photo via AP, File)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sei Young Kim had an eight-stroke lead with five holes left Saturday at El Caballero Country Club in the JM Eagle LA Championship. She ended up needing to get up-and-down from off the back of the 18th green to salvage a two-shot advantage.

“Oh, wow, it feels like roller-coaster,” the 33-year-old South Korean said.

Her late meltdown with four straight bogeys gave two-time event winner Hannah Green and others who thought they were playing for second a chance Sunday in the final event before the first women’s major of the season.

“It’s golf. It can be happen again," Kim said. "It’s learn and then learn and learn. Mistake and then learn. Hopefully, success end of the day tomorrow.”

Kim shot a 1-under 71 to get to 15-under 201. Green, the 2023 and 2024 champion at Wilshire Country Club, had a 67 to join Suvichaya Vinijchaitham (67), Jessica Porvasnik (68) and Ina Yoon (71) at 13 under. Former UCLA star Patty Tavatanakit was another stroke back after a 67.

“I’m just going to go out there and play golf,” Tavatanakit said.

The tournament is being played at El Caballero for the second straight year because of course renovations at Wilshire. The Chevron Championship is next week in Houston for the first of the five women’s major tournaments.

A shot ahead entering to day, Kim birdied the par-5 first and all the other odd-numbered holes on the front nine, running in a 20-footer on the par-3 ninth for a seven-stroke lead. She pushed the lead to eight before falling back with the bogeys on Nos. 14-17.

“Every hole is downwind starting 15 until the 18,” said Kim, who hit into the water on 16 going aggressively at a difficult pin. "I was struggling with the downwind today.”

She won the BMW Ladies Championship last year at home in South Korea for the last of her 13 LPGA Tour titles.

“I’m very confident, but I just keep doing what I’m doing the last couple days," Kim said. "That’s what I can do the best. So we’ll see tomorrow.”

Green has three worldwide wins this year — the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore on the LPGA Tour and the Women’s Australian Open and Australian WPGA in her home country.

“I don’t really know where they put the pin locations for tomorrow, but I’m sure they’ll be tricky and there will be some holes that will probably play easy,” Green said. “I’ve noticed the last two days the wind is kind of switched at times so that will be tricky to manage. The ball is going far off the tee.”

Amateur Asterisk Talley was tied for 23rd at 7 under after a 69. The 17-year-old Talley is playing her first event since losing the lead on the back nine in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

During the round, the sponsors raised the purse $1 million to $4.75 million.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Sei Young Kim hits from the fifth tee during the first round of the LPGA's JM Eagle LA Championship golf tournament at El Caballero Country Club, Thursday, April 16, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)