Politico learned about the EU leaders' group chat to discuss Trump's policies

The leaders of the European Union (EU) countries are discussing the political steps of US President Donald Trump in a group chat. This was reported by the Politico newspaper on January 19, citing sources.

According to the publication, the informal association is called the Washington Group. It was created after the joint visit of European leaders and President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky to the White House in August 2025. According to the newspaper, the chat consists of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Finnish President Alexander Stubb and Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni.

"When things start moving fast, it's difficult to coordinate [actions], and this group chat is really effective," said one of the interlocutors of the publication.

According to Politico, the main approach of the group's members over the past year "has been to remain calm and react" specifically to Trump's political actions, not to his statements. However, the latest crisis around Greenland, during which the American leader threatened to impose duties, has changed the mood. The conflict has forced European leaders to rethink how to act in an environment where the United States may be moving away from its traditional role as an ally.

According to one of the diplomats, initially the "coalition of the willing" was formed around the Ukrainian issue, but then "created close ties" between key figures in European capitals, which allowed for a quick exchange of messages and joint work.

Northern influence: Europe and the United States on the verge of a trade war over Greenland

The European Union is nervous about Trump's plans to impose duties against EU countries

On January 17, the American president announced that Washington was imposing duties of 10% with the possibility of increasing up to 25% on a number of European countries due to the situation around Greenland. Starting from February 1, 2026, tariffs will apply to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands and Finland.

On January 14, Trump reiterated that US relations with Denmark are "good," but Greenland is necessary for Washington to ensure national security. The head of the government of Greenland, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, noted that he considers the "repeated rhetoric" of the United States regarding the island to be disrespectful and unacceptable.

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.