US Additional Tariffs a 'Mistake,' von der Leyen Says

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00:00When it comes to the security of the Arctic region, Europe is fully committed.

00:08And we share the objectives of the United States in this regard.

00:13For instance, our EU member, Finland, one of the newest NATO members, is selling its

00:21first icebreakers to the United States.

00:25And this shows that we have the capability right here, in the ice, so to speak.

00:32It shows that our northern NATO members have Arctic-ready forces right now.

00:38And above all, that Arctic security can only be achieved together.

00:45And this is why the proposed additional tariffs are a mistake, especially between long-standing

00:53allies.

00:55The European Union and the United States have agreed to a trade deal last July.

01:02And in politics, as in business, a deal is a deal.

01:08And when friends shake hands, it must mean something.

01:14Ladies and gentlemen, we consider the people of the United States not just our allies, but

01:22our friends.

01:24And plunging us into a downward spiral would only aid the very adversaries we are both so

01:31committed to keeping out of the strategic landscape.

01:35So our response will be unflinching, united and proportional.

01:45But beyond this, we have to be strategic about how we approach this issue.

01:52And this is why we are working on a package to support Arctic security.

01:57First principle, full solidarity with Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark.

02:02The sovereignty and integrity of their territory is non-negotiable.

02:07Second, we are working on a massive European investment surge in Greenland.

02:16We will work with Greenland and Denmark hand in hand to see how we can further support the

02:22local economy and infrastructure.

02:25Third, we will work with the United States and all partners on wider Arctic security.

02:35This is clearly in our shared interest, and we will step up our investment.

02:42In particular, I believe we should use our defence spending surge on a European icebreaker

02:49capability and other equipment vital to the Arctic security.

02:55And fourth, in the same spirit, we need to work with all our regional partners to strengthen

03:04our common security.

03:07And this is why we will look at how to strengthen our security partnerships with partners such as

03:12the UK, Canada, Norway, Iceland and others.