Malta wants 'international stability': PM to meet EU leaders over Trump threats

EU confirms emergency summit on Thursday

Robert Abela will meet fellow EU leaders for an emergency summit on Thursday following threats by US President Donald Trump to impose tariffs on countries opposed to his push to take Greenland.

"Faced with global uncertainty, Malta will continue taking decisions that favour international stability and in the best interest of the Maltese and Gozitans," the prime minister told Facebook followers. 

The crisis talks in Brussels come as the 27-nation bloc weighs potential countermeasures against the United States if Trump follows through on punishing some of Washington's closest allies.

The meeting will be held on Thursday evening.

The EU executive, meanwhile, said on Monday it wanted to engage with the US after Trump threatened tariffs on European countries in the standoff over Greenland, but was ready to act if needed.

"Our priority is to engage, not escalate," European Union trade spokesman Olof Gill said, but he added: "Should the threatened tariffs be imposed, the European Union has tools at its disposal and is prepared to respond."

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