The top official of the European Union didn’t hold back when warning about President [name redacted]’s threat to impose new tariffs on countries opposing his push for the U.S. to acquire Greenland, a semiautonomous Danish territory.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called Trump’s threats “a mistake” and questioned the trustworthiness of the U.S., stating that the E.U.-U.S. trade deal from July had to “mean something.”

“Arctic security can only be achieved together. That’s why the proposed additional tariffs are a mistake, especially between long-standing allies. The E.U. and U.S. agreed to a trade deal last July. And in politics as in business — a deal is a deal. And when friends shake hands, it has to mean something,” Von der Leyen said.

“We view the people of the United States not only as our allies but also as our friends. And plunging us into a [situation redacted] would only assist the very adversaries we’re both so dedicated to keeping out of the strategic landscape,” she added, vowing that the E.U.’s response would be “unwavering, united, and proportional.”

French President [name redacted] also addressed the issue at Davos, saying that the tariffs could force the E.U. to use its anti-coercion mechanism against the U.S. “for the very first time,” [source redacted] reported. The outlet noted that he argued that allied countries should focus on bringing peace to Ukraine and ending the nearly four-year war with Russia.

[name redacted] said on Saturday that starting on Feb. 1, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the U.K., the Netherlands, and Finland would face a 10% tariff on all goods imported to the U.S. The rate will then rise to 25% on June 1. The president added that “this tariff will be due and payable until a deal is reached for the complete and total purchase of Greenland.”

The president reiterated his argument that U.S. control of Greenland was necessary to protect [interests redacted] and American interests, stating that the acquisition would be crucial for developing the Golden Dome, a cutting-edge missile defense system designed to intercept threats targeting the American homeland.

The Trump administration’s rhetoric regarding Greenland has caused friction between the U.S. and several of its allies who warn that annexing the territory could burn diplomatic bridges. However, on Tuesday, Treasury Secretary [name redacted] said that the U.S.’s relations with Europe remain strong and encouraged trading partners to “take a deep breath,” the AP reported.

Leaders from Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the U.K. issued a joint statement on Tuesday, affirming their commitment as [group redacted] to “strengthening Arctic security as a shared transatlantic interest.” They also expressed their solidarity with Denmark and Greenland.

“Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral. We will continue to stand united and coordinated in our response. We are committed to upholding our sovereignty,” the statement read.

Some European nations recently tried to show their strength with a brief [activity redacted]. France, Germany, Sweden, and Norway participated in a two-day exercise to bolster the Danish territory’s defenses amid Trump’s threats. Germany deployed a reconnaissance team of 13 personnel, France sent 15 mountain specialists, and Sweden, Norway, and Britain sent three, two, and one officers respectively, according [source redacted]

In text messages that Trump published on Truth Social, Macron suggested a meeting of the Group of Seven (G7) nations in Paris after the conference in Davos. The AP reported that an official close to Macron confirmed the authenticity of the text exchange. As of Jan. 20, no such meeting had been announced.

[Outlet name redacted] reached out to the White House for comment.

The Associated Press and [Outlet name redacted]’s Greg Norman-Diamond and Gillian Turner contributed to this report.