Ambulances wait in line at the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza on Monday. AFP/Getty ImagesJerusalem —
Gaza’s only border crossing with Egypt reopened partially on Monday morning after Israel closed it nearly two years ago, according to an Israeli security official, allowing a small number of Palestinians to enter and leave the war-torn enclave.
The European Union is operating the Rafah crossing as the final step of the first phase of the US-brokered ceasefire agreement in Gaza that went into effect in mid-October.
The crucial crossing, which has been largely closed since Israel seized it in May 2024, underwent a series of preparations on Sunday from the European Union, Egypt and other parties that will be involved in running the border crossing.
During the first few days of operation, only 50 people per day will be allowed to cross both ways, Egypt’s state-affiliates AlQahera News reported on Monday, citing an unidentified source.
Xenix News previously reported that a total of 150 Palestinians would be allowed to leave Gaza through the crossing each day, but only 50 would be allowed to enter.
At Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital in Gaza’s Deir al-Balah, Ibrahim Al-Batran packed his bag on Sunday when he heard the crossing would open. A kidney dialysis patient, he said the hospital can only provide minimal care.
“Many people have died while waiting for treatment, and I may die today, tomorrow or the day after tomorrow while I’m waiting for treatment,” he told CNN. “Until now, not a single patient has been allowed to leave.”
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 20,000 patients in Gaza are awaiting permission to travel abroad for treatment, including at least 440 cases that are considered life-threatening. Nearly 1,300 people have died after being forced to wait to leave Gaza for treatment, the ministry said.
The steep price of passing through the crossing coupled with lengthy bureaucratic and security processes mean few Palestinians can realistically expect to leave. Before Israel shut the crossing, some Palestinians had reported paying thousands of dollars when it was open, which few can afford.
The full reopening of the Rafah crossing was part of the first phase of the US-brokered ceasefire agreement that went into effect in mid-October. But Israel refused to open the crossing until the return of all living and deceased hostages. The final deceased hostage, Ran Gvili, was returned to Israel last week.
Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the opening would be “limited” with no passage of humanitarian aid or commercial goods.
The return of Gvili and the reopening of Rafah brings to a conclusion the first phase of the 20-point ceasefire agreement. The US announced the start of the second phase of the agreement two weeks ago when President Donald Trump officially launched his Board of Peace in Davos.
During the event, Ali Shaath, who leads the Palestinian technocratic committee expected to run Gaza, said the crossing would reopen, calling it “a lifeline and symbol of opportunity.”
• President Donald Trump said Friday he is nominating Kevin Warsh to be the next Federal Reserve chair. Warsh will take over from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, whose term as chair ends in May. The role requires Senate confirmation.
• The announcement caps an extensive search that started in September and was spearheaded by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who whittled down a list of half a dozen candidates and presented four finalists to the president.
• Trump has castigated Powell for months, calling him a “numbskull,” a “moron” and a “jerk” for not lowering interest rates more quickly. His administration also launched a criminal investigation of Powell and the Fed earlier this month, which led Powell to issue an extraordinary rebuke of Trump’s efforts to politicize the independent central bank.
President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he walks to Marine One prior to departure from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 27. Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Once President Donald Trump’s handpicked Federal Reserve chair takes up his position at the head of the US economy, the president will have run out of excuses: This will officially become the Trump economy, for better or worse.
Throughout the first year of his second term, Trump has mostly blamed America’s affordability problems on two men: Former President Joe Biden and Fed Chair Jerome Powell, whom he accuses of mismanaging the economy and allowing prices to rise out of control.
But those excuses have fallen flat, with poll after poll showing that voters disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy.
Once the Fed chair nominee is Senate confirmed, Trump will have claimed the economy for himself. That could be a politically precarious proposition, since the president has almost certainly overpromised on what the new Fed chair will be able to accomplish.
Trump wants lower mortgage rates. A new Fed chair may not help with that
From Xenix News
President Donald Trump has often said that he wants lower interest rates in order to improve home affordability.
However, the Federal Reserve doesn’t directly set mortgage rates. Those rates largely track the 10-year Treasury yield, which rises and falls for a host of economic reasons.
“The mortgage market is very complex,” said Charlie Dougherty, a senior economist at Wells Fargo. “Yes, the Fed plays a role, but the root cause of mortgage rates being elevated is about inflation, it’s about prospects for growth and fiscal pressures.”
Average mortgage rates have stayed stubbornly just above 6% for the last several months, even after the Fed cut interest rates three consecutive times at the end of 2025.
Trump’s nominee for Fed chair, Kevin Warsh, is known as a “hawk” who supported higher rates during his previous tenure at the Fed. However, even if Warsh cuts the Fed’s benchmark interest rate more than expected, mortgage rates may not move lower.
Wells Fargo expects the 10-year Treasury yield to fall early this year before climbing again in 2027 — a shift that could push mortgage rates higher down the road. Dougherty said Warsh’s nomination doesn’t change the bank’s outlook.Read more
Trump: “We talk about it” but I didn’t ask Warsh to cut rates
US President Donald Trump speaks before signing executive orders in the Oval Office in the White House on Friday. Annabelle Gordon/AFP/Getty Images
President Donald Trump on Friday in the Oval Office denied that he directly asked his pick for Federal Reserve chair, Kevin Warsh, to cut interest rates.
“We talk about it, and I’ve been following him, and I don’t want to ask him that question. I think it’s inappropriate, probably,” Trump said. “Probably would be allowed, but I want to keep it nice and pure. But he certainly wants to cut rates. I’ve been watching him for a long time.”
Trump has been publicly shaming current Fed Chair Jerome Powell because the central bank hasn’t lowered rates as quickly or dramatically as the president would like. That’s why some economists have questioned Trump’s pick of Warsh, who has publicly agreed with the president in recent months but has a long record from his prior time at the Fed of pushing for higher interest rates.
Trump said he wasn’t concerned about Warsh’s reputation as an inflation hawk, acknowledging that there have been times when the Fed needed to raise rates.
“Yeah, I’ve had times when I think you’ve had to really have rate hikes too,” Trump said. “But he’s very smart, very good, strong, young – pretty young – and he’s gonna do a good (job).”
• The Federal Reserve is widely expected to hold its benchmark interest rate steady Wednesday after its first policy meeting of 2026, as the labor market and inflation come into better balance.
• The central bank cut rates three times last year as it monitored the economic effects of President Donald Trump’s aggressive policies. Unemployment ticked up last year and inflation moved slightly lower.
• It’s also the first time we’ll hear from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell after his extraordinary rebuke of the Trump administration. He announced earlier this month that he is under federal investigation, saying the criminal probe is a “pretext” meant to intimidate the central bank into cutting rates to the president’s liking.
• Trump has said his pick for a new Fed chair to replace Powell, whose term ends in May, will slash rates. However, the chair is just one vote on a committee of 12 officials who make policy adjustments based on economic evidence, not political pressure.
Fed holds interest rates steady as its independence comes under threat
From Xenix News
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell during a news conference on September 17, 2025 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday kept interest rates unchanged as the US central bank fights to maintain its ability to set interest rates without political interference.
Officials kept their benchmark lending rate at a range of 3.5-3.75%, following three consecutive rate cuts late last year. Several policymakers have said in recent public speeches they want to see the effects of those rate cuts before considering any further reductions, suggesting a pause could last for a few months.
The Fed’s latest rate decision comes at a pivotal moment in the central bank’s 112-year history, as the Supreme Court reviews a case with significant implications for the Fed’s independence. Chair Jerome Powell himself pushed back against the Trump administration’s threats against the Fed’s independence earlier this month in a stunning video.
Yes, the labor market has weakened. No, that doesn’t guarantee a rate cut
From Xenix News
A job seeker waits to talk to a recruiter at a job fair on August 28, 2025, in Sunrise, Florida. Marta Lavandier/AP
Outside of recessions, last year was one of the weakest labor markets in decades. Additionally, the latest jobs report from December showed employers hired just 50,000 new workers — the most tepid job growth since December 2020, when employers laid off a net 183,000 workers.
On the surface, that, on top of other recent lackluster labor market data, would appear to make rate cuts a surefire thing for the Federal Reserve, given that it is tasked with setting rates at levels to promote maximum employment. (Generally speaking, lower rates can help boost the labor market by reducing employers’ borrowing costs, thereby freeing up funds to hire more workers.)
But the labor market is only half of the Fed’s responsibility; the other half is price stability (i.e. preventing higher inflation.) Cutting rates too quickly or by too much can help fuel higher inflation, especially at a time when higher tariffs and other factors are driving businesses to raise prices.
With both sides of the equation in mind, economists at Morgan Stanley anticipate the Fed will hold rates steady for longer than they previously forecast.
“Labor demand sill remains soft – with private payrolls rising by only 37k in December and 29k on a three-month moving average – but we think the Fed can live with slower employment growth so long as the unemployment rate is stable (or falling),” they said in a note earlier this month. Their expectation now is that the next rate cut will come in June.
Consumer confidence crisis?
From Xenix News
A customer shops in a supermarket in New York on January 22. Charly Triballeau/AFP/Getty Images
America’s economic mood deteriorated in January to its lowest level in more than a decade as consumers fretted about geopolitical tensions, affordability and President Donald Trump’s unrelenting trade war.
Americans haven’t been in this bad of a mood about the economy since 2014, according to the closely watched Consumer Confidence Index. This month, the index fell 9.7 points to its lowest reading in nearly 12 years.
Put another way: Even in the depths of the 2020 pandemic, consumers were more confident about the economy than they are now, according to the index, which is published by the nonprofit think tank The Conference Board.
To be sure, these sentiment surveys tend to tell us more about what Americans believe than about how they truly are. In recent years, especially, the gap between what consumers say they’re feeling and how they’re actually spending their money has been widening.
So this sour January mood might not translate into less spending. A separate survey from the University of Michigan that emphasizes folks’ views about their personal finances hit a five-month high in January.
That might be why Wall Street was so unbothered by the confidence reading Tuesday. US stocks hit record highs thanks to plenty of optimism about corporate earnings.
• Judge’s order: Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons has been ordered to appear in federal court on Friday by a Minnesota judge to explain why he should not be held in contempt for violating an order in the case of a man challenging his detention.
Trump says he does not believe Alex Pretti was an ‘assassin,’ contradicting top aide
From Xenix News
President Donald Trump said today that he does not believe Alex Pretti was acting as an “assassin” in Minneapolis, the most direct contradiction he’s made yet of how some members of his administration described Pretti in the immediate aftermath of his killing.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump was asked about the “assassin” description, which was used on Saturday by deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller.
“No,” Trump said, “not as an — no.”
He turned back after a moment to offer an addendum to his answer.
“With that being said, you can’t have guns. You can’t walk in with guns. You just can’t. You can’t walk in with guns, you can’t do that. But it’s a very unfortunate incident,” he said.
After Pretti was shot to death on Saturday, Miller referred to him as “a would-be assassin” who “tried to murder federal agents,” a claim Vice President JD Vance reposted on social media.
At the White House on Monday, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt sought to put distance between those comments and Trump’s feelings. She said she hadn’t heard Trump “characterize Mr. Pretti in that way.”
Trump says he’s “going to be watching over” investigation into Pretti shooting
From Xenix News
President Donald Trump on Tuesday called for an “honorable and honest” investigation into the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti and said he’d be “watching over it.”
Asked Tuesday whether he believed Pretti’s death was justified, the president indicated that he would be involved with the investigation.
“Well you know, we’re doing a big investigation. I want to see the investigation. I’m going to be watching over it. I want a very honorable and honest investigation. I have to see it myself,” he told reporters while departing the White House for a trip to Iowa.
The president struck a more moderate tone than many of his top lieutenants, some of whom have cast Pretti as a “domestic terrorist.” There has been a shift in tone and strategy from the White House over the past day, with Trump announcing on Monday that he was sending border czar Tom Homan to Minneapolis to replace Border Patrol chief Greg Bovino on the ground.
Walz meets with White House border czar Tom Homan as two agree to “ongoing dialogue”
From Xenix News
White House Border Czar Tom Homan, left, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. AP
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s office said he met with White House border czar Tom Homan today and the two “agreed on the need for an ongoing dialogue.”
The Democratic governor said he reiterated Minnesota’s priorities, including “impartial investigations into the Minneapolis shootings involving federal agents, a swift, significant reduction in the number of federal forces in Minnesota, and an end to the campaign of retribution against Minnesota.”
Walz and Homan “will continue working toward those goals, which the President also agreed to yesterday,” the governor’s office said.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety will be the primary liaison with Homan in ensuring those goals are met, Walz’s office noted.
Some background: President DonaldTrump and Walz spoke by phone yesterday in what they both described as a productive conversation. “It was a very good call, and we, actually, seemed to be on a similar wavelength,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, striking a notably conciliatory tone.
In a separate statement, Walz said Trump agreed to consider reducing the number of federal agents in Minnesota and pledged to talk to his Department of Homeland Security about ensuring that state officials can investigate Saturday’s fatal shooting of Alex Pretti.
President Donald Trump, pictured in Davos, Switzerland on Wednesday, has cast doubt on whether the United States’ allies would rally to its defense. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
US President Donald Trump has once again questioned whether NATO allies would “be there” if the United States “ever needed them,” baselessly claiming that the alliance’s troops “stayed a little back” from the frontlines in Afghanistan.
“I’ve always said, ‘Will they be there, if we ever needed them?’ And that’s really the ultimate test. And I’m not sure of that. I know that we would have been there, or we would be there, but will they be there?” Trump said Thursday in an interview with Fox News in Davos, Switzerland.
In the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the US became the first and so far only NATO member to invoke Article 5, which states that an attack against one member is an attack against all. For 20 years, NATO allies and other partner countries fought alongside US troops in Afghanistan – a sacrifice Trump has routinely downplayed.
“We’ve never needed them. We have never really asked anything of them. You know, they’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan, or this or that. And they did – they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines,” he said.
President Trump says US has ‘never needed’ NATO and claims its troops avoided frontlines in Afghanistan
The president’s comments have rankled US allies in NATO, coming at the end of a week in which he has severely strained the alliance through his repeated threats to seize control of Greenland, an autonomous part of Denmark, another NATO member.
While in absolute terms the US lost by far the most troops of any NATO country in Afghanistan, some European countries – with much smaller populations than the US – lost almost as many troops in relative terms.
Around 3,500 allied troops died in the conflict, of which 2,456 were Americans and 457 were British. Denmark, with a population of around 5 million when the invasion began, lost more than 40 troops.
The force dispatched to the southern Helmand province – a Taliban stronghold and a center of opium production – initially comprised mostly British and Danish troops, before the US sent reinforcements in 2008. Britain and Denmark suffered most of their casualties in Helmand.
The coffins of two Danish soldiers killed in Helmand province were repatriated to a military airport in Jutland, Denmark, in October 2007. Claus Fisker/AFP/Getty Images
Since the turn of the year, Trump has repeatedly questioned NATO’s willingness to support the US. “I DOUBT NATO WOULD BE THERE FOR US IF WE REALLY NEEDED THEM,” he blasted on Truth Social on January 7. “We will always be there for NATO, even if they won’t be there for us.”
Before Trump’s comments to Fox News, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte had pushed back at the president’s previous attempts to diminish the alliance’s willingness to support the US.
“There was one thing I heard you say yesterday and today – you were not absolutely sure that Europeans would come to the rescue of the US if you will be attacked,” Rutte said Wednesday in Davos, sitting next to Trump. “Let me tell you – they will. And they did in Afghanistan, as you know.”
“For every two Americans who paid the ultimate price, there was one soldier from another NATO country that did not come back to his family,” Rutte said. “This is important. It pains me if you think it is not.”
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told Trump in Davos on Wednesday that allied troops had supported the US in Afghanistan. Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
British lawmakers across the political spectrum were also outraged by Trump’s comments.
“NATO’s Article 5 has only been triggered once. The UK and NATO allies answered the US call. And more than 450 British personnel lost their lives in Afghanistan,” said Defense Secretary John Healey. “Those British troops should be remembered for who they were: heroes who gave their lives in service of our nation.”
Emily Thornberry, chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, said Trump’s comments were an “absolute insult,” while Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the opposition Conservative Party, called them “flat-out nonsense,” saying that the allies’ sacrifice “deserves respect not denigration.”
Other members of the Trump administration have also made light of the sacrifices made by NATO allies in Afghanistan. In June, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said his fellow US troops in Afghanistan would joke that the ISAF acronym on their shoulder patches – which stood for International Security Assistance Force – actually stood for “I Saw Americans Fighting.”
“What ultimately was a lot of flags … was not a lot of on the ground capability,” Hegseth said, disparaging the efforts of NATO allies.
• Ukraine talks: After meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, US President Donald Trump said there’s still “a ways to go” on ending Russia’s war. Zelensky noted that documents aimed at stopping the conflict are “nearly ready” and also called out Europe for inaction.
• Greenland deal progress: Trump said negotiations regarding Greenland currently give US “total access” for defense. While Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reached a verbal understanding about Greenland yesterday, no document has been produced yet memorializing a future deal, sources say.
• “Board of Peace”: Trump earlier unveiled his “Board of Peace,” which is tasked with rebuilding Gaza and resolving global conflicts, in a signing ceremony attended by fewer than 20 countries. He called Gaza a “beautiful piece of property” when talking about reconstruction of the war-torn strip.Allcatch upgreenlandukrainedavos
Greenland’s prime minister says sovereignty is a “red line” in any deal
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said Thursday that he wasn’t sure “what’s concrete” in US President Donald Trump’s announced “framework” for a “future deal” on Greenland.
“Nobody else than Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark have the mandate to make deals or agreements about Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark without us,” Nielsen told Xenix News Nic Robertson at a press conference in Nuuk.
Trump yesterday announced that he had achieved the new “framework” after a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte. Nielsen said he understood that at that meeting, Rutte “delivered the message that we actually have delivered a couple of days ago with our representative from the government of Greenland.”
“I don’t know what’s concrete in that deal,” Nielsen said of Trump’s new framework, “but I know that we have now a high-level working group working on a solution for both parties.”
Greenland’s sovereignty and territorial integrity is a “red line,” Nielsen continued. Earlier in the press conference, he told reporters that Greenland’s position is clear.
“To summarize, we choose the Kingdom of Denmark,” Nielsen said. “We choose the EU, we choose NATO. This is not only a situation for Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark, it’s about the world order for all of us.”
Ukraine, US and Russia will hold trilateral meeting in UAE starting Friday, Zelensky says
Ukrainian, US and Russian officials are to hold a trilateral meeting in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced Thursday, in a sign that peace talks to end the war in Ukraine are intensifying.
The two-day meeting will take place on Friday and Saturday, the Ukrainian leader said as he delivered a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Speaking to reporters later, Zelensky revealed that the Ukrainian delegation will include the head and deputy head of his presidential office, Kyrylo Budanov and Serhii Kyslytsia; the head of the parliamentary faction of Zelensky’s Servant of the People party and negotiator, David Arakhamia; and the Chief of the General Staff Andrii Hnatov.
“I asked Hnatov to fly in from Kyiv; the military must be present,” Zelensky told the reporters.
“We are at the moment when, I think, if all the sides will work a lot, we will end this war, but if somebody will play the games, I don’t know who, but I’m just sharing with you. If someone will play games, the war will continue,” he said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Analysis: A strident Zelensky seeks to spur European allies into action
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky delivers a speech at the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday. Markus Schreiber/AP
This was a very strident broadside by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky against European leaders he says have not done enough over the past year. They remain, he said, “in Greenland mode, maybe someone, somewhere will do something.”
Zelensky thanked France and the UK for offering troops in the event of a peace deal, but otherwise tried to stir European leaders – still reeling from US President Donald Trump’s whirlwind of noise around Greenland – into action to forge a new world order. “We need something to replace the old world order with, but where are the leaders to do that?” he said.
Zelensky revealed plans for US, Russian and Ukrainian leaders to meet in the United Arab Emirates in the coming days, for what would mark the first trilateral meeting since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Trump had floated such an idea late last year – and Russia rejected it. That it is now likely happening might suggest some progress in peace talks, if only on the procedural front.
The speech’s tone – defiant against a part of Europe that has been Zelensky’s key support base – was designed to appeal to the White House. Parts of it would have pleased both US Vice-President JD Vance and Trump himself. But it was also designed to use the embarrassment and vertigo of the Greenland crisis to urge sedentary European leaders into real action.
Zelensky was complimentary about how Trump’s snatching of Venezuela’s former president Nicolas Maduro led to him facing trial in New York. But he reminded Europeans that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin did not face a similar fate, and that the people of Iran had been left to face the brutality of their security forces. He danced around the issue of US weapons supplies, saying he had discussed air defenses with Trump, but that he had been advised not to mention the US Tomahawk missiles Ukraine urgently wants.
Zelensky wanted to leave a mark on his European hosts that Trump would appreciate and convey the idea that the peace process has momentum, saying the documents were “almost ready.”
The answer to the key question of whether Putin will sign up to them likely leans towards the negative.
No written document has been produced on future deal framework for Greenland, sources say
US President Donald Trump, right, meets with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during a meeting on the sidelines of the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday. Evan Vucci/AP
President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reached a verbal understanding about Greenland during their meeting yesterday, but no document has been produced yet memorializing a future deal, people familiar with their discussion told Xenix News.
Trump and Rutte agreed to further discussions about updating a 1951 agreement between the US, Denmark and Greenland that governs the US military’s presence on the island, the sources said. The deal framework also guarantees that Russia and China will be barred from any investments in Greenland and lays out an enhanced role for NATO in Greenland, they said.
Two sources said another element of a possible deal is increased US access to Greenland’s natural resources. Rutte on Thursday denied that he had discussed this issue with Trump directly.
One person familiar with the discussions said Rutte did not want any formal documents prepared during his meeting with Trump because he was concerned they could leak — or be posted by Trump himself on social media. Trump earlier this week posted a private message Rutte sent to him ahead of their talks.
The lack of any written documentation has caused some confusion among NATO allies about what was actually agreed upon.
Stacked shipping containers in the commercial port of Barcelona on July 7, 2025. Angel Garcia/Bloomberg/Getty Images
Strasbourg, France —
A key group of European Parliament members blocked a vote to ratify a US-European trade deal Wednesday after President Donald Trump threatened to take over Greenland and charge as much as an additional 35% tariff on countries opposed to his ambitions.
“EU-US Deal on ice indefinitely!” Bernd Lange, chair of Parliament’s trade committee, said in a post on X.
It’s unclear if the entire trade agreement, which called for 15% tariffs on European Union goods shipping to the US, has been called off or if parts that have already gone into effect will remain that way. The EU and the US came to a preliminary deal in July, putting much of it into effect before it was signed.
The news came as Trump told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland that he did not intend to use force to acquire Greenland. But he emphasized repeatedly a demand that Europe effectively give Greenland to the United States.
“He wants to have Greenland as part of the United States as quick as possible, and he wants to have a table where we could discuss about the price he wants to buy,” Lange said Wednesday at a press conference in Strasbourg, France.
Beyond the 15% tariff rate, the agreement called for the EU to increase purchases of American agricultural and energy products. Lange accused the US of violating the terms of the agreement by threatening additional tariffs.
“Until the threats are over, so there will be no possibility for compromise,” Lange added. He seemed to suggest, though, that the EU’s commitments to purchase American military and energy products will stick.
Trump’s tariff threats over Greenland triggered an emergency meeting of European countries’ representatives over the weekend, and French President Emmanuel Macron reportedly asked the European Union to activate its so-called anti-coercion instrument, colloquially known as a “trade bazooka.” That could involve suspending US company licenses or taxing US services.
Collectively, trade between the US and EU was nearly $1 trillion in 2024, according to data from the US Commerce Department. A trade war between the two economies could have profound impacts for all involved.
EU leaders are set to meet in Brussels on Thursday to discuss how to retaliate if Trump’s latest tariff threats are enacted.
But Trump’s ability to follow through on his tariff threat likely hinges upon a case now before the Supreme Court challenging his most sweeping levies. The nation’s highest court is expected to issue a ruling soon.
This story has been updated with additional context and developments.
• US President Donald Trump tied his ambitions to annex Greenland to his unsuccessful bid for a Nobel Peace Prize in an extraordinary message to Norway’s prime minister. Trump said he no longer feels bound “to think purely of Peace.”
NATO, Denmark and Greenland discuss importance of Arctic for “collective security”
From Xenix News Billy Stockwell
NATO will continue to work with Denmark and Greenland on matters relating to the security of the Arctic region, the military alliance’s Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Monday.
His comments follow a meeting with Denmark’s Minister of Defense Troels Lund Poulsen and Greenland’s Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt.
“We discussed how important the Arctic – including Greenland – is to our collective security and how (Denmark) is stepping up investments in key capabilities,” he posted on X. “We’ll continue to work together as allies on these important issues.”
Europe doesn’t want a “fight” over Greenland, but will hold its ground, says EU foreign policy chief
From Xenix News Billy Stockwell
Europe is not interested in picking a “fight” with the US overj President Donald Trump’s ambitions to annex Greenland, but the bloc will “hold our ground,” according to the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.
“We have no interest to pick a fight, but we will hold our ground. Europe has a slate of tools to protect its interests,” Kallas said in a social post Monday.
Trump’s threat to hit his allies with tariffs unless a deal is reached for the US purchase of Greenland is “not the way to go about this,” Kallas said.
“Denmark and Greenland are not alone,” she said. “Arctic security is a shared transatlantic interest, and one we can discuss with our US allies.”
ADVERTISEMENT
“There are red lines which can’t be crossed,” says Danish foreign minister
From Xenix News Billy Stockwell
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen said there are “red lines which can’t be crossed,” referencing US President Donald Trump’s aspirations to acquire Greenland. However, he added that he has no intention of escalating the situation.
He said he believed the United Kingdom and the European Union would stand behind Denmark, citing the “strong statement” of support from British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Starmer said earlier Monday that it’s “completely wrong” to impose tariffs on allies and reaffirmed that any decision about the future status of Greenland “belongs to the people of Greenland.”
Asked if he felt betrayed by the US, Rasmussen said Monday: “I use the word surprised… I have no intention to escalate things.”
“It’s so important that all our allies in the NATO alliance, European Union, stand up for these principles to show the American president you have a desire, you have a vision, you have a request, but you will never be able to achieve that by putting pressure on us,” Rasmussen said.
Thousands Demonstrate Against Greenland Risk as Trump Reveals New Tariffs on Denmark and European Partners.
Thousands of protesters gathered in public squares throughout Denmark and other European capitals on Saturday after former U.S. President Donald Trump revived contentious statements about Greenland and unveiled significant new tariffs on Denmark and various European partners. The statements made during a campaign-themed event heightened diplomatic strains and provoked strong responses from European officials, economists, and security experts.
Demonstrators in Copenhagen brandished Danish and Greenlandic flags as they shouted slogans denouncing what they called “economic coercion” and “neo-imperial threats.” Comparable protests occurred in Berlin, Paris, and Brussels, where participants voiced worries that Trump’s remarks might jeopardize transatlantic relations amid a period of increased global uncertainty.
Trump informed his supporters that Europe had “treated the United States unfairly” for many years and blamed Denmark for “stopping strategic collaboration” in the Arctic. He revealed intentions to implement new tariffs on Danish exports, along with wider duties aimed at what he referred to as “uncooperative European allies.”
“Trump stated that these nations rely on the U.S. market.” “They must be fair if they seek our protection and partnership.”
A Recognizable Flashpoint Resurfaces
Trump’s revived attention on Greenland mirrors his previous fascination with the Arctic island during his presidency, when he suggested the idea of the United States purchasing the area. Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, possesses considerable strategic importance because of its location, rare earth materials, and closeness to Arctic shipping lanes.
Danish authorities quickly dismissed Trump’s recent remarks. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated that Denmark “will not yield to threats or tariffs,” underlining that the future of Greenland is decided solely by its inhabitants.
Greenland’s administration also released a statement emphasizing its independence. “We are not available for purchase, nor are we a pawn in international conflicts,” the statement said.
Tariffs Disrupt European Markets
The tariff declaration reverberated across European financial markets, especially in industries reliant on U.S. exports, such as pharmaceuticals, machinery, and renewable energy technology. Experts cautioned that the suggested actions might provoke counter tariffs from the European Union, leading to a wider trade conflict.
Economists observed that Denmark might be particularly impacted because of its economy, which is focused on exports. Trump indicated that the tariffs might extend beyond Denmark to other European countries that, as he stated, “take advantage of American security without contributing their fair share.”
Officials from the European Commission stated they were assessing the announcement and developing possible counteractions. A senior diplomat from the EU labeled the action as “profoundly destabilizing” and cautioned that it might weaken NATO cohesion.
Protesters demonstrate in solidarity with Greenland amid the US president’s threats to annex the territory in Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen. Martin Sylvest Andersen/Getty Images
European Leaders Caution Against Lasting Harm to Transatlantic Relationships
As demonstrations persisted through the night, European leaders voiced increasing concern regarding what they characterized as a diminishing trust between the United States and its longstanding allies.
French President Emmanuel Macron referred to the tariff threat as “an economic weaponization of diplomacy” and encouraged Washington to engage in dialogue instead of confrontation. German authorities expressed comparable worries, cautioning that trade conflicts might undermine Western unity as global security issues increase.
NATO representatives secretly voiced concerns regarding the impact on alliance unity, especially considering Greenland’s critical role in Arctic military strategies. Analysts warned that Trump’s remarks could obscure the distinction between economic policy and security obligations.
“This goes beyond mere tariffs,” stated a European security specialist. “It concerns the extent to which allies can depend on one another when strategic interests are involved.”
Demonstrations Reveal Underlying Anxieties
In Copenhagen, protesters speaking to local media expressed that their frustration extended beyond just tariffs. Numerous individuals voiced concerns that Greenland might turn into a pawn in great-power rivalry, especially as climate change unveils new Arctic pathways and heightens interest in the area’s natural resources.
“Concerns about sovereignty, democracy, and respect are prominent,” stated a protester. “Allies shouldn’t communicate with each other like this.”
In Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, smaller yet emotionally intense meetings occurred, where locals expressed worry that global power conflicts might overshadow local concerns, such as climate resilience and economic growth.
Large crowds protest against a US takeover of Greenland in the territory’s capital of Nuuk on Saturday. Sean Gallup/Getty Images
Trump’s Communication to Electorate
Trump’s remarks seemed designed for a local audience, emphasizing his enduring message that allies exploit the United States. His campaign has progressively focused on economic nationalism, promising to leverage tariffs in foreign policy conflicts.
Crowd members at the rally cheered the announcement, seeing it as a show of power. “He’s advocating for America,” remarked one participant. “Other nations have been taking advantage of us.”
Critics, nonetheless, contend that these policies might increase consumer prices in the U.S. and trigger retaliatory actions that negatively impact American exporters.
What Follows Next
European officials indicated that official replies would probably be synchronized at the EU level in the next few days. Trade specialists expect discussions, but caution that language from both sides might strengthen their stances.
Currently, the protests act as a clear indication of how swiftly diplomatic conflicts can escalate into public disorder. As chants resonated through European streets, one message was evident: Trump’s comments have rekindled past grievances and introduced new doubt into the transatlantic alliance.
Regardless of whether the tariff threat is enacted as policy or stays a campaign strategy, experts indicate that this situation highlights the precariousness of alliances during a time of increasing geopolitical rivalry — as well as the enduring consequences of statements made on the world stage
• Insurrection Act: President Donald Trump warned he might invoke the centuries-old law to deploy US troops to Minnesota as state and federal officials clash over tactics used by immigration agents.
• Another Minneapolis shooting: Law enforcement and demonstrators clashed last night near where a federal agent shot and injured a man after he allegedly assaulted the agent. During the struggle, DHS said two people came out of a nearby apartment and attacked the officer with a snow shovel and a broom handle. After the suspect got loose and joined the attack, the officer fired “defensive shots,” DHS said, striking the man in the leg.
• High tensions: Minneapolis leaders are asking residents to remain calm following last night’s shooting, which happened a week after Renee Good was fatally shot by an ICE agent. The shooting sparked nationwide protests and prompted the Trump administration to send in hundreds more agents as part of its coast-to-coast immigration enforcement crackdown.
• Court fights: A judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order after Minnesota and the Twin Cities sued federal officials, claiming the immigration enforcement operation involves warrantless arrests and excessive force. The decision “should not be considered a prejudgment,” the judge said.Allcatch up
Residents begin their day in the Minneapolis neighborhood where the shooting took place
From Xenix News Maggie Koerth and Lauren Mascarenhas
In the North Minneapolis neighborhood where the shooting took place last night, residents woke up to what appeared to be a relatively normal morning – a stark contrast to the heated scenes on the ground the night before.
Children boarded school buses at the intersections where citizens clashed with law enforcement less than 12 hours earlier, and much of the debris that littered the street had already been cleaned up, leaving only a few remnants behind.
There’s a chill in the air, though much of the snow on the ground melted earlier this week, revealing brown soil peeking through on the neighborhood’s favorite sledding hill at Farview Park – just north of the area where ICE agents shot a man while trying to arrest him Wednesday.
Cut off from much of Minneapolis by highways, the neighborhood feels more like a small, rust-belt town in northern Minnesota than the affluent, quirky neighborhoods on the south side of town.
Community members here are eager to protect one another.
As ICE agents pulled in and out of the parking lot of the local Taco Bell last night, neighbors mobilized to protect the staff, where employees include immigrants and Spanish speakers. Residents took turns standing guard in the cold outside the store until 2 a.m., clutching mylar blankets and hand warmers.
Senate Republican leader casts doubts on use of Insurrection Act
From Xenix News Ted Barrett and Veronica Stracqualursi
Senate Majority Leader John Thune leaves after speaking at a press conference at the US Capitol on January 6 in Washington, DC. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Senate Majority Leader John Thune downplayed President Donald Trump’s threat to invoke the Insurrection Act in Minnesota over ICE protests and said he hoped federal, state and local officials will restore calm soon.
“I think he’s threatened that other places, other states too. So, I mean, we’ll see what happens there,” the Republican leader told reporters. “Hopefully the local officials, working with not only the federal law enforcement, ICE and other agencies, but also the local law enforcement officials will be able to settle things down.”
He was asked about plans to fund DHS in a yet-to-be passed appropriations bill as some Democrats are demanding language be added to the bill to rein in ICE – something most Republicans oppose.
“That will be the hardest one for sure,” he said of the DHS bill, adding that they might need to pass a continuing resolution for DHS that would keep its current spending levels. “I would say if there were a candidate for a CR, that’s probably the most likely.”
Congress has a deadline at the end of month to pass the remaining spending bills to avert another government shutdown.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, meanwhile, appeared to support Trump’s threat to send US troops to Minnesota and said the threat would not put the Department of Defense funding bill in jeopardy.
“I can tell you that Minnesota is out of control. You have local and state leaders who seem to be encouraging violence,” Johnson told Xenix News, adding, “The president’s frustrated about it, and so are we.”
