Martin says 'Europe needs to develop a stronger self-reliance' amid Trump's Greenland threats

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said it had been a 'difficult' week for EU-US relations

Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he was 'optimistic' about the future of both Europe as a project and of the Irish-American relationship.

Donald Trump's aim of taking over Greenland shows the EU must be more self-reliant, the Taoiseach has said.

Micheál Martin was speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos where he said it had been a "difficult" week for EU-US relations as Mr Trump ramped up his rhetoric around US control of the Arctic island, which is under Danish control.

Mr Trump on Wednesday walked back his stated desire to own the island, saying that he had agreed a framework deal with Nato chief Mark Rutte.

Speaking on Thursday, Mr Martin said the tension of the week showed "Europe needs to develop a stronger self-reliance across the board".

“There is a need now to deal with these issues in a proper way. I think we need to dial down language and rhetoric. We need to de-escalate it," he added.

Speaking later at a roundtable session at the forum, Mr Martin said he was "optimistic" about the future of both Europe as a project and of the Irish-American relationship.

There's a battle going on in the world, but I think the values of Europe, the fundamental ones, will sustain...there have always, historically, been different strands in America in its approach to the world.

"But I would actually be optimistic in that transatlantic [relationship]. I have to be as an Irishman, because historically, over 30 million people in America claim Irish descent because of the famine in 19th-century Ireland. So we've Irish all over America and those relationships will sustain in the time ahead."

On the future of the EU, the Taoiseach added: "One of my favorite films was Casablanca, and as Bogart says to Bergman at the end, we'll always have Paris."

Mr Martin also confirmed Ireland was "examining" an invite to join Mr Trump's so-called "board of peace", though doubts have been raised about whether Ireland would join amid fears its remit goes further than its originally stated aim of stabilising and rebuilding Gaza.