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The summit was initially called to discuss economic retaliation against the U.S. Leaders of the main parties in the European Parliament — including Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s own European People’s Party — which must ratify the trade deal, said on Sunday that this would be impossible given Trump’s threats.
But the U.S. president’s abrupt climbdown on Wednesday, saying he had negotiated a framework for expanded military access to the Danish overseas territory, should mean the pact can move ahead as planned, according to four diplomats and officials.
“It is in the interest of Europeans to have an effective relationship,” said a senior European diplomat.
At a meeting of ambassadors earlier Thursday to prepare the summit, no countries objected to the agreement taking effect, even after the rancorous week, according to two diplomats. It had been signed in July by Trump and von der Leyen.
“The action is for the Parliament,” said a second EU official, adding that leaders were likely to bring up the issue with Parliament President Roberta Metsola, who is addressing them during the summit on Thursday.
The EPP’s lead negotiator on the file, Željana Zovko, said the Parliament will “hopefully” decide to proceed with the deal on Monday.
The U.S. ambassador to the EU, Andrew Puzder, is piling on the pressure for the speedy approval of the deal, blasting those in Brussels who claim Trump risks undermining the transatlantic relationship with his efforts to take over the territory of allies.
“The real instability comes from the EU’s own failure to act on the historic trade agreement that Presidents Trump and von der Leyen negotiated last summer,” he wrote online. “It was meant to restore predictability and growth, not be held hostage to political posturing.”