STRASBOURG — Donald Trump’s threats to slap tariffs on European countries that disagree with him on Greenland are “simply wrong,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday morning.

Speaking to MEPs in Strasbourg, von der Leyen said the EU is aligned and “working together” with the U.S on the need to ensure security in the Arctic, and Brussels is planning “a massive European investment surge in Greenland” to support the local economy and boost its infrastructure. 

“This is why the proposed additional tariffs are simply wrong,” von der Leyen said. She added that the EU wants to stop the crisis escalating as “a dangerous downward spiral between allies” would only “embolden the very adversaries we are both so committed to keeping out of our strategic landscape.”

Von der Leyen’s comments come as EU leaders scramble to deal with Trump’s threats to annex Greenland and react to his announcement of 10 percent tariffs on goods from countries that sent troops to Nuuk. 

“Europe prefers dialogue and solutions, but we are fully prepared to act, if necessary, with unity, urgency and determination,” she said. 

The Commission president also said the EU needs to diversify its trade relationships and “reduce our dependencies.” The EU is negotiating trade deals with India and other countries that “will open massive opportunities for our businesses.”

”Our supply chains and derisking goals depend on it,” she added, hinting at the bloc’s highly interlinked trade connections with the U.S.

The European Union is on track to get nearly half of its gas from the United States by the end of the decade, creating a major strategic vulnerability for the bloc as relations with Washington hit an all-time low, as POLITICO reported earlier this week. 

Just a few hours before lawmakers vote on whether to send the Mercosur trade deal for legal review, which could stall the adoption process by up to two years, von der Leyen said the deal with the South American bloc will be beneficial for the dairy, wine, spirits and oil sectors, while the Commission has secured “strong” safeguards for other sensitive agri-food sectors.  

“This is a deal that will bring benefits across our economy, across every member state. And it can shield Europe from the risks it faces, ensuring our prosperity and our security at the same time,” she said.