Donald Trump’s decision to slap tariffs on countries that have shown support for Greenland is pushing transatlantic relations to a breaking point as EU leaders contemplate ways of retaliating against Washington that until now have been unthinkable.
One option being floated by centrist and left-wing politicians is for Europe to wheel out its Anti-Coercion Instrument, the EU’s so-called trade “bazooka” — a powerful retaliation tool that was originally conceived to fend off bullying from China, which would allow Europe to impose tariffs and investment limits against offending nations.
French President Emmanuel Macron has joined those calling for the instrument to be deployed against the U.S.
Coming from ‘Merca, I wholeheartedly support this measure. If one lesson was learned from WWII, it’s that as soon as you’ve identified a bully, you have to accept that diplomacy is no longer an option. Bullies don’t understand diplomacy, and don’t respect it. All they know, or respond to, is what they perceive as strength and/or power. At a more basic level, friendship means nothing to them because it’s a foreign concept.