Europe condemns Trump’s ‘new colonialism’ as Greenland crisis grows

Emmanuel Macron – wearing sunglasses owing to what he described as a mild eye condition – called Trump’s proposed tariffs on European countries ‘useless aggressivity’. Photograph: Jeanne Accorsini/Sipa/Shutterstock

European leaders have lined up to condemn Donald Trump’s “new colonialism” and warn that the continent was facing a crossroads as the US president said there was no going back on his goal of controlling Greenland.

After weeks of aggressive threats by Trump to seize the vast Arctic island, which is a largely autonomous part of Denmark, Emmanuel Macron, the French president, said on Tuesday he preferred “respect to bullies” and the “rule of law to brutality”.