Leaders agree EU will stand up for its interests against coercion - Costa

BRUSSELS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The European Union will defend itself against any coercion, the chairman of EU leaders said on Friday after an emergency summit on Europe's relations with the United States to discuss Washington's threats to take over Greenland.

"The European Union will continue to stand up for its interests and will defend itself, its member states, its citizens and its companies, against any form of coercion. It has the power and the tools to do so and will do so if and when necessary," Antonio Costa told a news conference.

The EU summit was called before U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly stepped back on Wednesday from his threat of tariffs on eight European nations, ruled out using force to take Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, and suggested a deal was in sight to end the dispute.

Costa also said EU leaders had serious doubts about a number of elements in the charter of the Board of Peace, proposed by Trump. Costa said the doubts were related to the Board's scope, governance and its compatibility with the UN Charter.