> Europe Prepares for a Nightmare Scenario: The U.S. Blocking Access to Tech

Europe Prepares for a Nightmare Scenario: The U.S. Blocking Access to Tech

Trump’s Greenland threats inject urgency into region’s efforts to reduce its reliance on American technology

Jan. 23, 2026

DAVOS, Switzerland—Rising tensions with the U.S. are spurring new plans in Europe to do something that has long seemed impossible: break with American technology in favor of homegrown alternatives.

President Trump this week dropped his threat to take control of Greenland by force if necessary. But even the possibility of armed conflict with allies has injected new urgency into long-simmering debates in Europe about how to reduce its reliance on U.S. tech infrastructure and tools that support swaths of the economy.

The worst-case scenario for European officials? A White House executive order that cuts off the region’s access to data centers or email software that businesses and governments need to function.

“When you start having these kinds of thoughts, even if they’re just thoughts, you have to start thinking: How would that work?” asked Bernard Liautaud, managing partner of Balderton Capital, a European venture-capital firm. “Can you imagine Europe functioning without American technology? It’s very hard to imagine.”

https://www.wsj.com/tech/europe-prepare … h-1967b39b

Bypass Paywall: https://archive.is/ITsw9 [Caution (Redirect)]

This will never happen.  Europe (Netherlands) has ASML, and they can always threaten resume selling their EUV photolithography machines to China.