Washington/Davos, Jan. 21 -- The European Union's legislative body has paused work on the formal approval and implementation of a trade deal it had reached with the US last year. This comes after US President Donald Trump ramped up the rhetoric on acquiring Greenland, and threatened eight European countries who didn't support his stance with tariffs.

"Given the continued and escalating threats, including tariff threats, against Greenland and Denmark, and their European allies, we have been left with no alternative but to suspend work" on the deal, said Bernd Lange, the chairman of the European Parliament's international trade committee.

"Until the US decides to re-engage on a path of cooperation rather than confrontation," no steps to mov...