European Union leaders gathered Friday to chart a new course in transatlantic relations as U.S. President Donald Trump backed down from his threats to take control of Greenland.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said solidarity and unity in the face of Trump's aggression has brought effective change. On the eve of the EU meeting, Trump dramatically backed away from his insistence on "acquiring" Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of Denmark. For the first time, he said that he would not use force to seize the island. Trump also dropped his threat of slapping tariffs on European nations that support Denmark.