“When the United States makes an unacceptable proposal, France is prepared to say no,” Jean-Noel Barrot wrote on social media. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters
France supports the suspension of a trade deal between the European Union and the U.S., Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told the French Parliament on Tuesday (January 20, 2026), as a row over the future of Greenland intensified. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened a further wave of tariffs on some European nations until he is allowed to take control of Greenland, to the dismay of European leaders.
“The threat of customs duties (is) being used as blackmail to obtain unjustifiable concessions,” Mr. Barrot said, adding that the European Commission has “very powerful instruments” to respond to Trump’s threats.
The European Parliament is expected to formally suspend on Wednesday (January 21, 2026) its work on the trade deal struck with the U.S. last summer in protest over Trump’s threats, EU lawmakers said.
The Parliament had been due to vote on removing many EU import duties on January 26-27, but Manfred Weber, head of the European People’s Party, the largest group in Parliament, said late on Saturday that approval was not possible for now.
In a post on the social media platform X, Mr. Barrot said France wants to continue working with the U.S. on security and peace. “But when the United States makes an unacceptable proposal, it (France) is prepared to say no,” Mr. Barrot wrote.
Published – January 20, 2026 11:25 pm IST
