By JAMEY KEATEN, EMMA BURROWS and WILL WEISSERT Associated Press
President Donald Trump's tariff threats over Greenland have strained relations with America's key NATO allies. European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, criticized Trump's approach on Tuesday, warning of potential retaliation. The European Union's top official calls the tariffs a "mistake," questioning Trump's reliability. Trump argues the U.S. needs Greenland to counter threats from China and Russia. Greenland's leader insists on respect for international law. European leaders consider countermeasures, including tariffs and economic sanctions. As tensions rise, Trump plans to address the issue at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
By AAMER MADHANI and CLAUDIA CIOBANU Associated Press
Denmark and Greenland's envoys to Washington have begun a vigorous effort to urge U.S. lawmakers as well as key Trump administration officials to step back from President Donald Trump's call for a "takeover" of the strategic Arctic island. Denmark's ambassador and Greenland's chief representative to Washington met on Thursday with White House National Security Council officials to discuss a renewed push by Trump to acquire Greenland, perhaps by military force. That word comes from Danish government officials who weren't authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.
French President Emmanuel Macron praised his country's ties with Britain on the first day of a state visit. The trip that began on Tuesday mixes royal pageantry with thorny political talks about stopping migrants from crossing the English Channel in small boats. Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer will also try to advance plans for a post-ceasefire security force for Ukraine. Macron addressed Britain's Parliament and said that even though Britain has left the EU, it "cannot stay on the sidelines." Macron's three-day stay is at the invitation of King Charles III. It is a symbol of the U.K. government's desire to reset relations with the bloc after Brexit.
Ukraine is moving forward with plans for joint weapons production with allies, while the U.S. halts some arms shipments it had promised to help Kyiv fight off Russia's invasion. Ukraine on Wednesday warned of potential consequences of the U.S. decision. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine will seek joint weapons production with European and other countries. Ukrainian officials said draft legislation to support the effort will be voted on later this month. The U.S. has cited concerns over its own stockpiles for the halt in shipments. The decision has increased pressure on European nations to support Ukraine militarily.
French President Emmanuel Macron says that a proposed European armed force for possible deployment in Ukraine in tandem with an eventual peace deal could "respond" to a Russian attack if Moscow launched one. Macron spoke Wednesday evening after talks with Ukraine's president and ahead of a summit in Paris of some 30 nations on Thursday that will discuss the proposed force for Ukraine. "If there was again a generalized aggression against Ukrainian soil, these armies would be under attack and then it's our usual framework of engagement," Macron said. "Our soldiers, when they are engaged and deployed, are there to react and respond to the decisions of the commander in chief and, if they are in a conflict situation, to respond to it."
By SYLVIE CORBET, MATTHEW LEE, and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press
Updated
President Donald Trump says he's hopeful Russia's war in Ukraine is nearing an endgame as he meets with French President Emmanuel Macron on the third anniversary of the Russian invasion. Trump in broad-ranging comments Monday on the state of the conflict said he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin would accept European peacekeepers in Ukraine to keep the peace. Trump also expresses hope the conflict can end within weeks and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will soon come to the U.S. to sign a deal to give the U.S. access to Ukraine's critical minerals to help repay some of the $180 billion in American aid that's been sent to Kyiv since the start of the war..
By CHRIS MEGERIAN, SYLVIE CORBET and ZEKE MILLER Associated Press
President Joe Biden has for the first time publicly apologized to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for a monthslong congressional holdup in American military assistance that let Russia make battlefield gains. Biden and Zelenskyy met Friday in France, where they attended ceremonies marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings. Biden told Zelenskyy he apologized to the Ukrainian people for the weeks of not knowing if more assistance would come while Congress waited six months before sending him a $61 billion military aid package. The Democrat insists Americans stand by Ukraine. Biden says: "We're still in. Completely. Thoroughly." Zelenskyy has appealed for bipartisan U.S. support "like it was during World War II."
