Europe should brace for more moments of US hostility, French President Emmanuel Macron has warned, and should treat what he called the “Greenland moment” as a wake up call to push through long delayed reforms to strengthen the bloc’s global power.

In an interview with several European newspapers, the French leader said the European Union should not mistake a lull in tensions with Washington for a lasting shift despite a pause in US threats over Greenland, trade and technology.

Macron urged EU leaders to use a summit in a Belgian castle this week to inject fresh energy into economic reforms to bolster the bloc’s competitiveness and strengthen its ability to stand up to China and the United States on the world stage.

“When there’s a clear act of aggression, I think what we should do isn’t bow down or try to reach a settlement,” Macron told Le Monde, the Financial Times and other newspapers in comments published yesterday. “We’ve tried that strategy for months. It’s not working,”

Macron said the Trump administration was being “openly anti European” and seeking the EU’s “dismemberment”. He said he anticipated further tensions with the Trump administration, including over Europe’s regulation of digital technology.

“The US will, in the coming months — that’s certain — attack us over digital regulation,” Macron added, warning of potential US import tariffs from US President Donald Trump should the EU use its Digital Services Act to control tech companies.

Europe needed to be more resilient in the face of a double challenge from the United States and China, Macron said.

“We have the Chinese tsunami on the trade front, and we have minute-by-minute instability on the American side. These two crises amount to a profound shock — a rupture for Europeans,” he continued.