Trump Vows to Seize Greenland, Promising "No Turning Back," US-EU Relations Sharply Strained, Market Risk-off Sentiment Rises

**January 20th Brief** U.S. President Trump publicly stated he will never back down on "controlling Greenland," even raising the possibility of using force—triggering fierce pushback from European allies and putting the longstanding U.S.-Europe security and trade alliance at serious risk of fracture. Trump posted multiple AI-generated images on social media, declaring his intent to claim Greenland’s sovereignty from Denmark and criticizing European allies including France. This follows his prior threat to impose tariffs of up to 200% on French wine and champagne, escalating trade tensions anew. The EU is evaluating countermeasures: these include tariffs on roughly €93 billion worth of U.S. goods and deploying "anti-coercion tools" to restrict U.S. companies’ investments, services, and financial activities in the bloc. Danish officials bluntly noted the issue is no longer just a Danish concern but a matter affecting the entire transatlantic relationship. While U.S. Treasury Secretary Benson called for "calm" and urged against overinterpreting the situation, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at Davos that ongoing geopolitical shocks are forcing Europe to accelerate its push for strategic independence. On markets: Fears of a renewed trade war have sparked a "U.S. asset sell-off" mood, driving European stocks down over 1%, pressuring U.S. stock futures, weakening the U.S. dollar, and sending global safe-haven sentiment sharply higher.