Monday's top story: Europe hits back at Trump tariff threat as German army pulls out of Greenland
European leaders on Sunday slammed US President Donald Trump's threat of tariffs over their opposition to his designs on Greenland, warning transatlantic ties were at risk.
European countries including Germany and Denmark, of which Greenland is an autonomous territory, said they "stand united" against Trump's vow on Saturday to hit them with tariffs of up to 25 percent unless Greenland is ceded to the United States.
The bloc clinched a deal with Washington in July for most EU exports to face a 15 percent US levy. It was unclear how Trump's threatened tariffs would work against that deal.
"I don't believe that this agreement is possible in the current situation," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told ARD television.
In a joint statement that also included Britain, Finland, France, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden European leaders said, "Tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral..."
"We will continue to stand united and coordinated in our response. We are committed to upholding our sovereignty," they added.
READ ALSO: European leaders denounce Trump's tariff threats over Greenland
Trump has threatened to impose a 10 percent tariff from February 1st on all goods sent to the United States from the countries mentioned above. That levy would then be increased to 25 percent on June 1st "until such time as a deal is reached...", the US president said on Saturday.
In the meantime, Germany has pulled its troops out of Greenland following a very brief assessment mission.
Fifteen soldiers are reportedly leaving the Arctic island. The deployment was scheduled from the start to last only a few days, with troops withdrawing over the weekend.
The team arrived Friday to assess conditions for possible NATO exercises.
A Bundeswehr spokesman said that the team had completed its mission. The results of which are to be analysed in the coming days.
Syrian president cancels Germany visit
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has cancelled a planned visit to Berlin this week, a German government spokeswoman told AFP on Sunday.
The visit scheduled for Tuesday, which had been due to focus on Germany's efforts to step up the repatriation of Syrians, "was postponed by the Syrian side", the spokeswoman said.
On what would have been his first visit to Germany since ousting Syria's longtime leader Bashar al-Assad, Sharaa had been set to meet Chancellor Friedrich Merz and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
The former Islamist rebel chief has made frequent overseas trips, including to the United States and France, as he undergoes a rapid reinvention.
That has already led to a series of international sanctions on Syria being lifted.
A German government spokesman said last week that Berlin had an "interest in...finding a new start with the new Syrian government".
The return of Syrians to their home country had been on the agenda, he said.
READ ALSO: Why is the chancellor saying Syrians in Germany face deportation?
Instead, Sharaa on Sunday announced an agreement with the chief of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, that includes a ceasefire after government forces advanced into Kurdish-held areas of the north and east.
Sharaa said he would meet Abdi on Monday to finalise details of the agreement.
CDU pushes for faster approval of neighbourhood and business permits
Germany’s conservatives are pushing for automatic administrative approvals to speed up slow-moving bureaucracy.
CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann said the aim is to simplify approval procedures with fixed time limits for authorities to respond to requests for home extensions, neighbourhood festivals or outdoor dining permits.
Under the proposal, applicants would receive an immediate confirmation of receipt, and if no objection is raised within three months, the application would automatically be approved.
"This will relieve citizens and small businesses in particular of bureaucracy and create planning security," Linnemann told Bild am Sonntag.
The proposal forms part of the CDU’s 'Mainz Declaration', which the party’s federal executive committee is expected to adopt on Monday.
READ ALSO: German cabinet signs off on plan to reduce bureaucracy
Verdict expected in criminal case following train accident near Garmisch-Partenkirchen
Three and a half years ago, a train derailed near Garmisch-Partenkirchen killing five people and injuring more than 70.
On Monday a verdict is expected in a trial of two Deutsche Bahn employees who are accused of negligence and face suspended prison sentences.
The public prosecutor accuses the district manager of repeatedly delaying repair measures, which might have prevented the accident.
Even if the work on the Deutsche Bahn route network in this area was primarily a "shortage management" due to tight budgets and staff shortages, an individual cannot shirk his responsibility, the prosecutors argued.
The defendant's defence attorneys deny a breach of duty by their client, suggesting he could not have prevented the accident.
With reporting by AFP and DPA.
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