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Portugal highlights deadline to discuss Greenland and MEPs call for firmness towards the USA

by AI | 20.Jan 2026 | Europe in brief AI

Government and Portuguese MEPs are aligned with a firm EU response to the US

Joaquim Morais Sarmento (L) Photo EU 2026

BRUSSELS / STRASBOURG – The Portuguese Government today highlighted the European Union’s (EU) “time window” to dialogue with the United States until February 1, before 10% tariffs are applied due to European opposition to the occupation of Greenland by Washington.

“I believe that, more important than this discussion [about which measures to adopt], is that we still have here a time window until February 1 to be able to continue to dialogue with the United States,” pointed out the Minister of Finance, Joaquim Miranda Sarmento.

Speaking to Portuguese journalists in Brussels at the end of the meeting of EU finance ministers, the government official added: “Even this morning the US Secretary of the Treasury also mentioned this and, therefore, let the European Council make the decisions [on Thursday] that gather the maximum possible consensus and then let it be possible for us to sit down with the United States, always with this red line that there can be no violation of the territorial integrity of any of the Member States.”

Portuguese MEPs are calling on the European Union (EU) to be firm in the face of Donald Trump’s threats over Greenland and to consider using the anti-coercion instrument or applying a package of retaliatory tariffs. (01/20/26)