EU aims for ‘stabilisation’ of trade relations with US after Greenland crisis
The EU is aiming for the “effective stabilisation” of trade relations with the US, following Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw his threat to impose tariffs on European allies who oppose his proposed annexation of Greenland.
“Yesterday’s announcement that there will be no new US tariffs on Europe is positive. The imposition of additional tariffs would have been incompatible with the EU-US trade deal,” said António Costa, President of the European Council.
“Our focus must now be on moving forward on the implementation of that deal. The goal remains the effective stabilisation of the trade relations between the European Union and the US.”
US withdraws invitation for Canada to join ‘Board of Peace’
The US is withdrawing its invitation for Canada to join Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” initiative.
Addressing Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in a post on Truth Social on Thursday evening, the US president wrote: “Please let this letter serve to represent that the Board of Peace is withdrawing its invitation to you regarding Canada’s joining, what will be, the most prestigious Board of Leaders ever assembled, at any time.”
The board was initially viewed as a means to end the war in Gaza, but in recent weeks its role in other global conflicts has been discussed.
Countries including France, Norway and Sweden have rejected invitations to join, though the likes of Israel, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Indonesia have signed on.
US is building up military assets in the Middle East, says Trump
Donald Trump said the US was building up military assets in the Middle East in case he determines he needs to take action in Iran.
“We have a lot of ships going that direction, just in case. We have a big flotilla going in that direction, and we’ll see what happens,” he said aboard Air Force One en route to Washington on Thursday.
Trump cautioned that “I’d rather not see anything happen” in Iran, “but we’re watching them very closely”.
He added that the 25 per cent tariffs on all countries trading with Iran would take effect “very soon”.
Trump said he told the Islamic republic that if it had hanged hundreds of people arrested for protesting in the country’s recent unrest, it was “going to be hit harder than you’ve ever been hit. It’ll make what we did to your Iran nuclear [facilities] look like peanuts”. Tehran cancelled the planned executions an hour before they were due to take place, he said.