The Taoiseach has described the threat of tariffs by US President Donald Trump on European countries that are resisting his stated desire to take over Greenland as "extraordinary" and "unacceptable".
However, Micheál Martin said he was "against a knee-jerk reaction" in terms of the European Parliament possibly not ratifying the EU-US trade deal.
Speaking on RTÉ's This Week, the Taoiseach said that Europe has a trade agreement with the US, one that was entered into in good faith.
"That should be the framework that governs trade between our two countries, and every effort should be made to ensure that it remains the framework that underpins trade between Europe and the United States.
"Any deviation from that or any trade war that essentially would flow from the collapse of such a deal would be very damaging to everybody in the world," Mr Martin said.
If the tariffs are levied, the EU will retaliate and both Europe and the US will suffer, he added.
"Dialogue has to happen to prevent that from occurring," Mr Martin said.
Yesterday, Mr Trump escalated his quest to acquire Greenland, threatening multiple European nations with tariffs of up to 25% until his purchase of the Danish territory is achieved.
In a post on Truth Social, he said that from 1 February Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and Finland would be subject to a 10% tariff on all goods sent to the US.
He then said those tariffs will then increase to 25% from 1 June.
Mr Martin told the This Week programme that any annexation of Greenland was not on the table.
He also said that he believes "it is a bit premature" to trigger the EU's anti-coercion mechanism, which could limit access to public tenders in the bloc or restrict trade in services in which the US has a surplus with the EU.
When asked about the European Parliament possibly not ratifying the EU-US trade deal, the Taoiseach said "I am against a knee-jerk reaction ... and for now I would honour the agreement we have entered into".
He indicated too that he would visit the White House in March because he believes in dialogue and engagement.
Listen: Micheál Martin's interview on This Week in full
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'Deeply regrettable'
The Minister for Foreign Affairs has said that the US president's announcement was "completely unacceptable and deeply regrettable".
In a statement, Helen McEntee said that Ireland "has been crystal clear that the future of Greenland is a matter to be determined by Denmark and by the Greenlandic people, in line with well-established democratic principles and international law".
The minister said that respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states was "non-negotiable" and a "fundamental principle" of the United Nations Charter and of international law.
"It is what keeps all countries - large or small, militarily aligned or neutral - safe and secure," she said.
Earlier, Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris said that the tariffs threat by Mr Trump was "most concerning and very unwelcome".
In a statement, he said that the threat of "penalising economies and businesses and linking that with Greenland is completely unacceptable".
Mr Harris said that he will meet other finance ministers in Brussels tomorrow and that Europe "will stand united and coordinated in considering how to respond".
More: Hitting a point of no return in Trump's Greenland quest
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said European leaders need to make it "crystal clear" that Mr Trump's threats against Greenland cannot stand:
"It is for the people of Greenland to decide the future of that country, of that island, and everybody needs to respect that, including President Trump. We have to have order. We have to have calm, and above all else, we have to have respect for sovereignty. Individual countries and peoples have the right to determine their own futures."
Ms McDonald added that President Trump's threatened tariffs would not justify Ireland supporting the EU-Mercosur trade agreement.
"I don't think that the noise is coming from the Trump administration should be used as cover for signing what is a very, very bad deal, not alone for Ireland, but globally, for the environment, for the lung of the world that is the Amazon rainforest. So I don't accept that premise.
I do believe that, of course, as an open trading economy, we always need to be looking for markets for our goods and services to ensure that we can sell and that we can trade," she added.
Former Irish Ambassador to the United States Daniel Mulhall said Mr Trump's latest tariff threat is a "milestone moment".
Speaking on RTÉ's Brendan O'Connor, he said that while he does not believe Europe will "throw the NATO alliance out the window", a tough response is needed.
"This latest development is clearly a move to use trade policies to punish those European countries that support Denmark.
"I think the European Union will have to respond, I don't think the European Union could take this move by the United States lying down. I think that would be a very bad signal to give because it would suggest that the European Union can roll over in any circumstances," he said.
"I think it's going to be a very tough conversation in Brussels because Brussels is not like America. There is no central power; you have to get the agreement of 27 member states, the commission is involved, a lot of people are involved.
"But I find it hard to believe that the outcome will be anything less than some kind of equivalent response by the European Union to try to show the Americans that this is not easy street for them."
Ambassadors from the European Union's 27 countries were due to gather at 4pm Irish time for an emergency meeting on the issue.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has warned against Mr Trump's threat of tariffs which, she said, would "undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral".
