BERLIN — German Vice Chancellor Lars Klingbeil expressed frustration with the EU’s response to the Greenland crisis, telling POLITICO the bloc must avoid a return to business as usual after U.S. President Donald Trump backed down from his threats to seize the Arctic territory and impose new tariffs on European countries.

“Anyone in Europe who now thinks that we can sit back and relax, saying that everything has turned out fine somehow, take a deep breath and then carry on as before, has failed to understand what is at stake here,” Klingbeil told POLITICO’s Berlin Playbook Podcast in an interview conducted on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos.

Klingbeil’s comments came ahead of an EU emergency summit in Brussels on Thursday during which European leaders agreed the post-World War II world order is slipping away, but diverged on the best strategy for dealing with Trump going forward.

Klingbeil, who also acts as Germany’s finance minister, in particular voiced frustration over the European Commission’s handling of the Greenland crisis over the course of the past week, suggesting the Commission was not acting with enough urgency.

“When I returned from Brussels on Monday, I was extremely frustrated because I had held talks with the Commission where I was given the impression that everything was great, everything was on the right track, and I don’t think that is appropriate given the situation we are in,” Klingbeil said.

Klingbeil said that his frustration with the EU’s pace prompted him to reach out to his counterparts in Spain, France, the Netherlands, Italy and Poland to discuss economic competitiveness, raw materials and defense financing, among other matters, during a virtual meeting next week.

“The urgency and pace that we actually need are not there at the moment, and that is something that greatly concerns me,” he said.

“I’m a big fan and believer in the European Union, but I think a few countries need to take the lead now,” Klingbeil said. “I’m hopeful due to the fact that everyone in this circle has understood what’s at stake and that we can achieve something together.”

Klingbeil also suggested Germany should pursue a middle ground when it comes to dealing with the Trump administration, seeking to preserve ties to the extent possible while strengthening Europe.

“We must keep our hand outstretched at all times, and I believe that we must never destroy or jeopardize transatlantic relations on our part,” he said. “But I also believe — and I have made this clear over the last few days — that it is important for us to be clear and unambiguous as Europeans.”