Estonian politicians: Response will follow if US does hit Europe with tariffs
In the event of the threatened additional United States tariffs on some European Union states if no progress on a Greenland deal is made, a response will follow, Estonia's MEPs and other leaders say.
President Donald Trump said over the weekend that eight countries that have sent military personnel to Greenland will be hit with tariffs starting at 10 percent and rising to 25 percent "until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland."
The affected countries would be Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the U.K., the Netherlands and Finland.
Trump claimed these countries "have journeyed to Greenland, for purposes unknown," and have presented a security risk in doing so, at a time of growing Russian and Chinese interest in Greenland and the Arctic region.
The tariff could mean that the previously concluded trade agreement between the U.S. and the EU would likely be suspended.
"Putting the trade agreement on hold at this point is a reasonable idea, because if the current direction of the United States is to raise tariffs to up to 25 percent on certain European countries, then clearly we cannot talk about enforcing a trade agreement under which American producers would enjoy zero-percent tariffs," MEP Jaak Madison (Center) told "Aktuaalne kaamera."
The bigger question, however, lies in where relations between NATO allies stand in a situation where one demands that another cede territory. Can the European NATO member states and the U.K. rely on the U.S. to guarantee security in the same way as it has done up to now?
MEP Urmas Paet (Reform) said the EU must become a military union, even attaining the long-talked-about EU army, and reduce its dependence on the U.S.
"Clear steps must now be taken on how to strengthen the EU's own internal defense and security cooperation, all the way to the formation of combat units. The same approach of forming concrete battle groups should be used, where different countries — logically on a geographic basis — engage in systematic cooperation up to a certain unified command structure. This could also be the first step toward preparing broader, overall unified European armed forces," Paet said.
SDE's Sven Mikser also thought excessive dependence on the U.S. in more than one sphere would not work in the long run.
"Excessive dependence on the U.S. — be it economic, political, or military — leaves partners and allies open to blackmail, and when someone like Donald Trump is in the White House, that opportunity is also used up. Although we continue to seek constructive relations with the U.S. and hope that the U.S. remains Europe's ally, excessive dependence on the U.S. is certainly a security risk," Mikser said.
Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur (Reform) likewise said efforts must be made for the sake of allied relations. "Here, we all need to make an effort to ensure that we do not move toward very ultimate positions among NATO allies, but instead focus on how to resolve Arctic security," Pevkur said.
Estonia remains ready to send soldiers to Greenland, but according to Pevkur, it would not be reasonable to link this to economic issues. Estonia is not on the list of countries facing 10 percent tariffs on goods imported into the U.S., from the start of next month.
Isamaa chair Urmas Reinsalu said Europe must seek explanations from the U.S., but avoid additional tensions too. "The steps that have now flared up around Greenland are in no way acceptable to European countries as signals from the U.S. administration. That is self-evident. Consequently, European countries must now show the maturity to shape a common position and send the signal that we expect explanations from our partner and, of course, call on them to avoid steps that unnecessarily heighten tensions," Reinsalu, a former foreign minister, said.
Former president Toomas Hendrik Ilves had told ERR in an interview that Europe should take concrete steps, not only building up a substantial defense force, but also to carry out wide-scale reforms within the EU, including creating the bloc's own security council, integrating capital markets for investment, and issuing joint loans.
There are constitutional questions over whether Trump can levy the tariffs – it is Congress which sets taxes, though it is permitted to delegate it to the executive, for instance under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, and in theory the Supreme Court could rule against the tariffs' legality. On the other hand Trump may be again pressuring Europe to contribute more, in this case in the security of the Arctic region.
--
Editor: Andrew Whyte, Johanna Alvin
Source: "Aktuaalne kaamera"
