Donald Trump has not even moved back into the White House, but the volatile US president-elect has already rattled his counterparts in Europe.
With less than two weeks to his inauguration, Mr Trump set alarm bells ringing with provocative statements including refusing to rule out using military force to seize Denmark's autonomous territory Greenland.
The startling broadsides were a wake up call of the tumult to come and a reminder of the roller coaster the world faced during his first term.
Mr Trump's Greenland comment drew some criticism with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz admitting "uneasiness" among European Union leaders as he rejected against any attempts to change borders by force.
But, for now, Europe appears to be seeking not to get too worked up by the next US leader.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas took her lead from Denmark's low-key response when she insisted that "we have to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Greenland".
The US is one of our closest partners and we are committed to strengthening the Transatlantic bond.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) January 9, 2025
For the EU it is essential to protect and strengthen our fundamental democratic values, make our economy more competitive and sustainable, expand our global network of…
Her comments were echoed by the bloc's two top officials, who said the EU would always protect its citizens and the integrity of its democracies, while stressing the importance of the "transatlantic bond".
"In a rough world, Europe and the US are stronger together," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa wrote in identical messages on social media.
The EU is looking forward to a "positive engagement" with the incoming US administration, based on common values and shared interests, they added.
"One of the lessons of President Trump's first term in office is that you shouldn't react to everything," Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said.
"A lot of things are launched with the sole aim of starting a discussion that ultimately doesn't lead to much."
The US is one of our closest partners and we are committed to strengthening the Transatlantic bond.
— António Costa (@eucopresident) January 9, 2025
For the EU it is essential to protect and strengthen our fundamental democratic values, make our economy more competitive and sustainable, expand our global network of…
Diplomats said that cool heads were called for at a discussion among EU ambassadors in Brussels about dealing with Mr Trump and alleged interference in European politics by his billionaire ally Elon Musk.
"This is taken very seriously, while at the same time there are good reasons not to add fuel to the fire at this stage," one diplomat said.
Analyst Vassilis Ntousas, of the German Marshall Fund think tank, said the EU's response to Mr Trump has been purposefully "emollient".
"The EU's priority is clearly to craft a positive agenda of offers and requests to align with President-elect Trump's deeply transactional mindset," he said.
"Any sharper responses than those offered might have been seen as counterproductive."
Given the perils facing Europe - there are plenty of reasons why the EU needs to keep Mr Trump onside.
The incoming US leader has pledged to end Russia's war in Ukraine and European allies are desperate to convince him not to force a bad deal on the continent.
They are also scrambling to avoid trade tariffs that he has mooted.
"Mr Trump's latest statements underline once again that the next four years will be a challenge for our transatlantic relations," said German MEP David McAllister, who chairs the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee.
"However, this must not deter us from trying to work constructively with the new US administration in the interests of our common security."
"Europe must wake up. Or resign itself to the fate of a doormat." - French MP
Others insist Europe needs to react more forcefully - especially against the confrontational approach of Mr Musk - the owner of X.
"Every day, Trump and Musk threaten the democracies allied with the United States," said centre-left French MEP Raphael Glucksmann on the platform.
"Europe must wake up. Or resign itself to the fate of a doormat."
Mr Ntousas agreed that while it was still early days to take on Trump - the "wait-and-see" approach from Brussels was not sustainable in the long term.
"The EU will need to pick its battles. But it will also need to draw much clearer lines about what it sees as unproductive or unacceptable behaviour, and be ready for what comes next," he said.
